Saturday, April 18, 2020

What use is empathy?



But the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff isn’t empty. It is crammed full of casualties. Right now 1.4 million existing on wage subsidies wondering if or when they will work again. 30,000 more eking out an existence on a benefit wondering if or when they will work again.

Empathy is a rather useless trait because it merely requires you to 'walk a mile' in EVERYONE else's shoes. Leading exactly where? 

The decisions required from a government should be utilitarian. Based on the greatest good for the greatest number. I see no evidence that they have been.



10 comments:

AdamSmith 1922 said...

Excellent point, which seems to have been ignored by the media in favour of dulation for the PM. Most if not all the adulation is unwarranted.

Oi said...

Empathy can sound fairly hollow when ones partner has a salary north of ½ a million dollars. [I do concede that she has taken a 6 month 20% cut to around $475,000, however]

Brian Marshall said...

Opinions are like a*******s. Everyone has one. This particular tweeting one demonstrates a below optimum cognitive operation. In fact just using big words doesn’t make the person any smarter, but just reinforces the perception that the twit is suffering from the Dunning-Kruger effect.

Mark Wahlberg said...

"Cognitive dissonance causing dismay." I dont even know what that means.

Lindsay Mitchell said...

Don't worry. I had to look up the Dunning-Kruger effect. Here we go:

"The Dunning Kruger Effect is a psychological phenomenon in which people of the lowest ability in a subject rate themselves as most competent, compared to others. Ironically, people who lack the most knowledge on a topic also lack the ability to recognize their own mistakes and errors, making them exceptionally confident and biased self-evaluators. They are also unable to fairly judge other people’s performance."

david said...

The fence was erected after thousands of people had arrived unchecked from overseas and community transmission had already started. Those people have since been corralled with others giving opportunity for the virus to incubate spread and kill. Largely it hasn't. So the lack of C19 patients in the ambulance has nothing to do with the fence.

oneblokesview said...

What a pillock!

He was smart enough though to hook a girl with good income potential.
And lots of MEDIA attention which he loves.

Anonymous said...

A quote from billy Connolly..

"Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that who cares? He's a mile away and you've got his shoes!"


Oddball

Lindsay Mitchell said...

You can quote Billy Connolly any day you like on this blog.

Anonymous said...

David.

What is the magic formula you use for testing new arrivals? Please do tell us all about it because in my life experience just saying it doesn't make it true.

I think posters should have to sit a license before posting on the basis that if you lie you know nothing about the subject you are posting on or you are a far right/left troll.

Back to the testing David, what test would you use with 10,000 returning Kiwis at the airport. Do try and be sensible with your answer.

Eric Halfapes