Humanizing an enemy who will not return the sentiment is how kind, empathetic people are led to their deaths. Withholding emotions for an enemy (who is incapable of empathy and who delights in your suffering) helps to eliminate emotional conflicts when hesitation will result in loss.
On the topic of emotional responses: Your emotional response to my withholding of empathy for the enemy leads me to distrust your ability to do what is needed when the time comes. I argue that the “emotional response” in this argument has been yours alone.
In any other situation, where an existential life and death conflict was not at hand, I would agree with you. When prepping for war, however, I must insist on not being empathetic with my enemy.
My response wasn’t particularly emotional but sure.
Keeping my empathy doesn’t preclude me from being discerning, swift and decisive in moments of crisis or high risk. I prefer to be kind, that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to be vicious.
When “prepping for war”, it’s important to consider the non-actors that may get caught in the crossfire. “Conservatives” is a wide generalization, many of them are not only capable of empathy, but dare I say decent people, even if they’re under the spell of propaganda.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a trans woman with a gun and a plan for if/when crisis hits. I’m very aware of the current threats to my life and continued pursuit of happiness. But before that I’m human, and so are they. And as far as I can tell, most of them are as unwilling to participate in this propaganda driven culture war as I am.
Humanizing an enemy who will not return the sentiment is how kind, empathetic people are led to their deaths. Withholding emotions for an enemy (who is incapable of empathy and who delights in your suffering) helps to eliminate emotional conflicts when hesitation will result in loss.
On the topic of emotional responses: Your emotional response to my withholding of empathy for the enemy leads me to distrust your ability to do what is needed when the time comes. I argue that the “emotional response” in this argument has been yours alone.
In any other situation, where an existential life and death conflict was not at hand, I would agree with you. When prepping for war, however, I must insist on not being empathetic with my enemy.
My response wasn’t particularly emotional but sure.
Keeping my empathy doesn’t preclude me from being discerning, swift and decisive in moments of crisis or high risk. I prefer to be kind, that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to be vicious.
When “prepping for war”, it’s important to consider the non-actors that may get caught in the crossfire. “Conservatives” is a wide generalization, many of them are not only capable of empathy, but dare I say decent people, even if they’re under the spell of propaganda.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a trans woman with a gun and a plan for if/when crisis hits. I’m very aware of the current threats to my life and continued pursuit of happiness. But before that I’m human, and so are they. And as far as I can tell, most of them are as unwilling to participate in this propaganda driven culture war as I am.
So yeah, I’ll keep my empathy.
Don’t let one loud house ruin the neighborhood.