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| "What the hell is going on?" |
“Is the world being controlled by psychopaths, ego-maniacs, evil aliens or even non-human entities? Is a demon secretly playing with the human minds? EXACTLY WHO is pulling the strings?”
You won’t miss to ask the same questions openly or in your own mind while looking at the current state of affairs in almost the entire world - by taking out some time from your busy routine and closely analyzing the level of "profitting over people", (over-)confidence, self-centeredness, irresponsibility, radicalization, carelessness, recklessness, manipulation, provocation, exploitation, extremism, narcissism, ambitions, hypocrisy or deception in terms of or in the name of "environmental protection", sharing of resources, (geo-)politics, cooperation, development, technology, ideology, religion and economy. In terms of climate, society, life-style, relations and human behavior; many people would surely find today's world quite different than the one they were born in, merely a few decades ago. What about you? How do you find it?
It could be the major reason behind the prevalence of or growth in rush, panic, anger, gloom, stress, hatred, phobia, apathy, anxiety, despair, dullness, amnesia, insomnia, addiction, nihilism, hedonism, escapism, disbelief, pessimism, insecurity, depression, loneliness, intolerance, distraction, disillusion, frustration, disinterest, uncertainty, impatience, vulnerability, insensitivity, DOOM-saying, demotivation, disorientation, helplessness, hopelessness, purposelessness, pleasure-seeking, loss of meaning, sense of betrayal, existential dread and/or above all - EROSION OF TRUST, among millions of people, across the entire globe, at present than ever before. Aren't you among those people? Really? Well! I kindly suggest you to sit quietly and ask yourself seriously. By the way, people are loosing their trust in what? You just name it!
If you firmly believe that psychopaths completely lack human emotions then you're completely wrong (Sorry!). It’s not the so-called ‘lack of human emotions’ that makes a normal looking person immoral, careless, reckless, unethical, narcissistic, irresponsible, manipulative, deceptive, abusive, parasitic and exploitative towards others. Actually, psychopaths do have human emotions but they don't care about emotions, feelings and suffering of others. They've very low or complete lack of empathy for fellow human beings or even their closed ones. By the way, is this the first time you’re reading the word ‘Empathy’?
As of now, you surely might have read, heard or even used another word several times. The word is ‘Sympathy’. Along with the same word, ‘Sympathizing’ and ‘Sympathizer’ are the words that you might read, heard or even used many times, as of now. You might have expressed your sympathy towards or became sympathizer of others. However, most people simply confuse between sympathy and empathy. Although both words end with the exact same sound ‘m-pu-thee’, their meanings are totally different from each other. So, better understanding is necessary.
Sympathy is a conscious attempt of understanding what exactly other person may be going through, feeling or experiencing. However, empathy is a genuine subconscious experience of the same feeling inside oneself. Unlike sympathy, empathy is like putting your own foot inside the other person’s shoes and trying to experience how really it feels like. Body language (facial expressions and posture) and vocal tone of a one person instantly changes in the presence of another person in distress, danger or pain. Doesn’t it ever happen to you at all?
On one hand, empathy is a genuine subconscious experience. We tend to experience happiness when others around us are happy and experience sadness when others are sad, down, crying, distressed or depressed. Similarly, we experience horrified when others are in danger and experience anger when others are getting abused, exploited or punished. The experience of empathy is entirely subconsciously. Also, it leads to instant physiological and hormonal changes. Hence, it’s physiological, behavioral and nonverbal.
On the other hand, sympathy is more of a conscious process of trying to visualize, imagine or understand what another person may be going through at present or might have gone through in the past. It’s expressed verbally, especially in the form of agreement, validation, recognition or support while not experiencing the exact same internal distress or uneasiness that is felt subconsciously. That’s why sympathy can be faked or copied but empathy can’t be!
Ability to control the impulses makes us civil but behaving empathetically makes us social. Whenever a person internally experiences what the other person is most likely feeling, is going through or might have gone through then those two persons virtually become 'ONE AND THE SAME'. Moreover, the first person might nonverbally and physically help, soothe, rescue, protect or even fight for the second person who is in distress, danger or pain.
Please let me explain you with a real life example. An elderly frail man and his young son fail right in the middle of a road when their scooter's wheels slipped off on a greasy patch. An elderly man got slammed so hard on the surface of the road that he couldn't stand on his feet whereas his son got minor bruises. A young woman living in a nearby house immediately rushed to the spot with a bottle full of water in her hand.
Another commuting man who happened to watch the whole scene and suddenly stopped his motorcycle at the edge of the same road. He helped the son to lift his elderly father and take him to an empty place. Moreover, the commuting man ran his hands over the legs of the elderly to check the injuries if any. Behavior of the young woman and the commuting man wasn't sympathetic but empathetic.
Not Sympathy but Empathy is the necessary foundation of humanity, morality and ethics or in other words - compassionate, law-abiding, responsible, sensitive, truthful, ethical, caring and moral behavior. Today's global outcry about the degradation of humane, moral and ethical behavior towards each other strongly reflects the steady erosion of empathy. It seems that the mandatory quality helping us coexist and maintain the social harmony over millions of years is in decline.
There’re certain primary and secondary co-existential benefits of an internally felt distress or uneasiness while watching each other in suffering, distress, danger or pain. A few critical insights flashed in my mind while walking through the memories of major distressing or discomforting experiences of my own, including watching a lone man crossing the railway tracks while an express train was rapidly moving towards him on the same.
The same insights have voluntarily been shared by an email in June 2024 with world’s some of the top behavioral researchers who’re working on empathy and a leading institute - Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) of University of California at Berkeley (UCB). The institute has formally acknowledged them. You can read the same insights in my upcoming book - Body Language Insights.
[ 'Reserved' Empathy: It's quite natural, by-birth, instinctive or even spiritual for any (normal) human being to have empathy for every other human being. However, a (geo-)political ambition, a radical ideology or tribalism systematically tries to manipulate, motivate or deceive its followers, believers or members to keep their empathetical contribution, adherence, behavior, struggle or actions limited to or reserved only for other followers, believers or members of the same movement, ideology or tribe. ]
Related Articles:
1) Surprise vs. Startle Reflex 2) Your Confirmation Bias vs. Context 3) Body Language of Extreme Psychopath
You won’t miss to ask the same questions openly or in your own mind while looking at the current state of affairs in almost the entire world - by taking out some time from your busy routine and closely analyzing the level of "profitting over people", (over-)confidence, self-centeredness, irresponsibility, radicalization, carelessness, recklessness, manipulation, provocation, exploitation, extremism, narcissism, ambitions, hypocrisy or deception in terms of or in the name of "environmental protection", sharing of resources, (geo-)politics, cooperation, development, technology, ideology, religion and economy. In terms of climate, society, life-style, relations and human behavior; many people would surely find today's world quite different than the one they were born in, merely a few decades ago. What about you? How do you find it?
It could be the major reason behind the prevalence of or growth in rush, panic, anger, gloom, stress, hatred, phobia, apathy, anxiety, despair, dullness, amnesia, insomnia, addiction, nihilism, hedonism, escapism, disbelief, pessimism, insecurity, depression, loneliness, intolerance, distraction, disillusion, frustration, disinterest, uncertainty, impatience, vulnerability, insensitivity, DOOM-saying, demotivation, disorientation, helplessness, hopelessness, purposelessness, pleasure-seeking, loss of meaning, sense of betrayal, existential dread and/or above all - EROSION OF TRUST, among millions of people, across the entire globe, at present than ever before. Aren't you among those people? Really? Well! I kindly suggest you to sit quietly and ask yourself seriously. By the way, people are loosing their trust in what? You just name it!
"Every psychopath is a narcissist but not every narcissist is a psychopath."
Clinical Psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasula
(World's leading expert on Narcissism)
Clinical Psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasula
(World's leading expert on Narcissism)
If you firmly believe that psychopaths completely lack human emotions then you're completely wrong (Sorry!). It’s not the so-called ‘lack of human emotions’ that makes a normal looking person immoral, careless, reckless, unethical, narcissistic, irresponsible, manipulative, deceptive, abusive, parasitic and exploitative towards others. Actually, psychopaths do have human emotions but they don't care about emotions, feelings and suffering of others. They've very low or complete lack of empathy for fellow human beings or even their closed ones. By the way, is this the first time you’re reading the word ‘Empathy’?
As of now, you surely might have read, heard or even used another word several times. The word is ‘Sympathy’. Along with the same word, ‘Sympathizing’ and ‘Sympathizer’ are the words that you might read, heard or even used many times, as of now. You might have expressed your sympathy towards or became sympathizer of others. However, most people simply confuse between sympathy and empathy. Although both words end with the exact same sound ‘m-pu-thee’, their meanings are totally different from each other. So, better understanding is necessary.
Sympathy is a conscious attempt of understanding what exactly other person may be going through, feeling or experiencing. However, empathy is a genuine subconscious experience of the same feeling inside oneself. Unlike sympathy, empathy is like putting your own foot inside the other person’s shoes and trying to experience how really it feels like. Body language (facial expressions and posture) and vocal tone of a one person instantly changes in the presence of another person in distress, danger or pain. Doesn’t it ever happen to you at all?
 |
| Empathy is the critical pro-social quality. (Image Courtesy: American Psychological Association) |
On one hand, empathy is a genuine subconscious experience. We tend to experience happiness when others around us are happy and experience sadness when others are sad, down, crying, distressed or depressed. Similarly, we experience horrified when others are in danger and experience anger when others are getting abused, exploited or punished. The experience of empathy is entirely subconsciously. Also, it leads to instant physiological and hormonal changes. Hence, it’s physiological, behavioral and nonverbal.
On the other hand, sympathy is more of a conscious process of trying to visualize, imagine or understand what another person may be going through at present or might have gone through in the past. It’s expressed verbally, especially in the form of agreement, validation, recognition or support while not experiencing the exact same internal distress or uneasiness that is felt subconsciously. That’s why sympathy can be faked or copied but empathy can’t be!
Ability to control the impulses makes us civil but behaving empathetically makes us social. Whenever a person internally experiences what the other person is most likely feeling, is going through or might have gone through then those two persons virtually become 'ONE AND THE SAME'. Moreover, the first person might nonverbally and physically help, soothe, rescue, protect or even fight for the second person who is in distress, danger or pain.
Please let me explain you with a real life example. An elderly frail man and his young son fail right in the middle of a road when their scooter's wheels slipped off on a greasy patch. An elderly man got slammed so hard on the surface of the road that he couldn't stand on his feet whereas his son got minor bruises. A young woman living in a nearby house immediately rushed to the spot with a bottle full of water in her hand.
Another commuting man who happened to watch the whole scene and suddenly stopped his motorcycle at the edge of the same road. He helped the son to lift his elderly father and take him to an empty place. Moreover, the commuting man ran his hands over the legs of the elderly to check the injuries if any. Behavior of the young woman and the commuting man wasn't sympathetic but empathetic.
 |
| The lone man crossing the railway tracks (Note: An image generated by AI, exclusively for the book) |
"Ability to control the impulses makes us civil but behaving empathetically makes us social."
Not Sympathy but Empathy is the necessary foundation of humanity, morality and ethics or in other words - compassionate, law-abiding, responsible, sensitive, truthful, ethical, caring and moral behavior. Today's global outcry about the degradation of humane, moral and ethical behavior towards each other strongly reflects the steady erosion of empathy. It seems that the mandatory quality helping us coexist and maintain the social harmony over millions of years is in decline.
There’re certain primary and secondary co-existential benefits of an internally felt distress or uneasiness while watching each other in suffering, distress, danger or pain. A few critical insights flashed in my mind while walking through the memories of major distressing or discomforting experiences of my own, including watching a lone man crossing the railway tracks while an express train was rapidly moving towards him on the same.
The same insights have voluntarily been shared by an email in June 2024 with world’s some of the top behavioral researchers who’re working on empathy and a leading institute - Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) of University of California at Berkeley (UCB). The institute has formally acknowledged them. You can read the same insights in my upcoming book - Body Language Insights.
[ 'Reserved' Empathy: It's quite natural, by-birth, instinctive or even spiritual for any (normal) human being to have empathy for every other human being. However, a (geo-)political ambition, a radical ideology or tribalism systematically tries to manipulate, motivate or deceive its followers, believers or members to keep their empathetical contribution, adherence, behavior, struggle or actions limited to or reserved only for other followers, believers or members of the same movement, ideology or tribe. ]
Related Articles:
1) Surprise vs. Startle Reflex 2) Your Confirmation Bias vs. Context 3) Body Language of Extreme Psychopath
