feelings are for dumb cunts
Generalizations and hypotheticals won't resolve this "conflict." There is an inherent (or perhaps "apparent," at the very least) paradox that can only be properly handled in the moment, for any practical purpose. Addressing issues of the species on an individual level is a paradox and keeping the dignity and integrity of individuality on a species-wide level (such as human rights and laws) are always going to escape absolutism.
How involved do you want to to get in discussing this subject here?
Perhaps the most insightful person here has actually been Jim. While you may disregard his statements merely on the face of it by how he actually expresses it the point is nobody and everybody here is qualified to discuss this.
Why even bring it up here? The flippant replies are a pretty good indicator that while there might be depth (despite anecdotal evidence to the contrary) underlying the human beings here, I doubt this is the best place and format to accomplish anything. Quit trying to be serious.
And if this is just a joke or venting, fine. I haven't had any coffee and I'm in a cranky mood and have difficulty retaining composure under the glare of outrageous nonsensical bullshit...and I'm taking it out here.
tl;dr rant done. Have a nice day.
Now here I am back with another re-thought, goddamn it... I fucking hate being pulled back in thought.
Of course, on one front it can be argued that empathy itself isn't retarded, but the concept of it. (This is what the thread title says, so you can get semantic about it.) Furthermore, since the thrust of the argument is to debate empathy's usefulness in practical, biological terms, then more distinction is in order.
Empathy, as an operation useful for survival purposes, can be seen (as others have somewhat pointed out) to promote tribal/pack stability and solidarity. Co-operation often yields stronger results for success, despite anything ASPD may have you believe. (And, a more enlightened or evolved view, as Jim pointed out, is the exploitability of this system, so it really does work out best for everyone.) We don't need to make infinite digressions to point out all the variations and exceptions to this. (Although, there is some importance in pointing out not pointing it out, right now.)
What the conflict of the issue falls on is the ethics involved. Ethics appear to be more of a symptom of empathy. Human rights, judicial systems and other such things are fabrications that get extrapolated into social forms and functions from the principles we believe intrinsic to being human. It appears to be that empathy is accepted as a normal, instinctual and biological fact of humanity basic to everyone's make-up.
Whatever consciousness is, it seems to be a primary suspect in fucking up the smooth, instinctual function of empathy one can find even across the animal kingdom. This makes me wonder if "cognitive empathy" is an exclusively human invention, or else just most pronounced in our species. There's an almost dissociative effect that consciousness gives us to step into a third person view or otherwise separate cognitive processes, including what normally passes for instinct like empathy. Or, at least, we can observe it and use self-reflection upon it.
I guess the fruit the snake tricked Eve into eating and convincing Adam to eat fucked us all up, eh? A little conscious self-awareness goes a long way to destroy everything. The fact we can discuss it in a place like this with people such as yourselves might help indicate humanity is pretty fucked.
I've lost all energy for this discussion.
Cricket stated: source post
Then why bother to allow someone else's to intrude at all? It just seems very invasive. Why is not recognizing them and responding accordingly not enough?
It seems far less selfish to me to be able to respond to the pain of another out of legitimate care for their well-being, without empathy, than to respond with the interest of ceasing one's own vicarious pain.
Also, you are perfect. <3
Not quite painful, more like a tease ;) And, as Sade noted, one that can be easily overcomed.