Is it me, or do most republicans lack empathy?

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dawp

Lifer
Jul 2, 2005
11,345
2,705
136
Originally posted by: Wheezer
care to cite an example before you make such a generalization?



Originally posted by: spidey07
This country was not founded on empathy. This country was founded on freedom and liberty. It really is that easy. Read The Constitution.

Why in the HELL should I care about what others might feel? Their feelings are their own problems, NOT MINE.
 

TechAZ

Golden Member
Sep 8, 2007
1,188
0
71
Originally posted by: retrospooty
The more I hear them talk, the more they just seem to have no ability to understand what others might feel. Or is it just me?

It's you. I could say the same thing about Democrats only feeling empathetic towards other Democrats....but I know that's just the vocal minority.
 

manowar821

Diamond Member
Mar 1, 2007
6,063
0
0
Originally posted by: spidey07
This country was not founded on empathy. This country was founded on freedom and liberty. It really is that easy. Read The Constitution.

Why in the HELL should I care about what others might feel? Their feelings are their own problems, NOT MINE.

Yeah, freedom and liberty from the central bank in Europe... Nowadays, though, we perform fellatio on them daily.
 

mxyzptlk

Golden Member
Apr 18, 2008
1,893
0
0
The biggest problem I see is that you all keep putting people into meaningless categories just so that you can denigrate them without including yourself. Every single living creature is a selfish being. We all act in our own best interest and most of us even go as far as to actively impede others for our own sake.

Everybody does it. Not just republicans or democrats or blacks or whites or jews or arabs or men or women.. EVERYONE!

Originally posted by: brencat
Less emotion. More rational thought. You'll live longer and be happier.

but.. happy is an emotion :confused:
 

Red Dawn

Elite Member
Jun 4, 2001
57,530
3
0
Originally posted by: Martin
Its easy to reach that conclusion if you hang out in P&N.
So true, it's real hard to have empathy for those on the other side of the fence that we consider barely human;)
 

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
33,381
7,444
136
Originally posted by: retrospooty
The more I hear them talk, the more they just seem to have no ability to understand what others might feel. Or is it just me?

Empathy is not a government expansion that rides on popularism and abuses the human rights of its people. Objecting to such expansion is not a lack of empathy, it is the tenant of our declaration of independence and of our constitution where a distant and foreign government trampled on our people and we sought to right those wrongs.

Stalin, Mao, and Castro should have been lesson enough for you and every generation henceforth that, when you feel empathy, expansion of government is the LAST thing you should be doing.

So I would ask you sir, not whether you feel empathy, but whether your empathy is used to empower the government or if it is used to empower the people.
 

DukeN

Golden Member
Dec 12, 1999
1,422
0
76
I think that is accurate. Republicans IMO for the most part give off a sense of racism, arrogance (moreso than anyone else) and hate as well.

Just my $0.02
 

jonks

Lifer
Feb 7, 2005
13,918
20
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Originally posted by: spidey07
I've saved many people's lifes by the actions of my own hands and awareness and caring of my fellow man.

which is completely offset by the number you've driven to suicide
 

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,377
126
Originally posted by: piasabird
I have never seen more hate than from stuck up self righteous liberals.

The most hate I've ever seen has been between AB and AC. I saw a smash captain beat a 19-year-old to death a few feet from me. Pure concentrated hate, and I tend to think the aryan groups are pretty right-wing.
 

QED

Diamond Member
Dec 16, 2005
3,428
3
0
I have empathy-- which is why as a conservative libertarian I think it's reprehensible to raises taxes on the single mother who has scrimped and saved to open her own catering business that's just barely making it just to hand out money to people who dropped out of high school, haven't made an effort to get their GED, and would rather live on government assistance then better themselves.
 

BoberFett

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
37,563
9
81
Originally posted by: QED
I have empathy-- which is why as a conservative libertarian I think it's reprehensible to raises taxes on the single mother who has scrimped and saved to open her own catering business that's just barely making it just to hand out money to people who dropped out of high school, haven't made an effort to get their GED, and would rather live on government assistance then better themselves.

She owns her own business? She's clearly rich then and deserves to be taxed.
 

BrownTown

Diamond Member
Dec 1, 2005
5,314
1
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A big part of this goes back to the old saying "give a man a fish feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and feed him for the rest of his life". When a Republican sees all these welfare programs it seems like you are just "giving away the fish" and essentially creating an underclass of people who contribute nothing to society and are like a leach to the rest of us. Many Republicans would say that by not giving these people handouts we are making them learn how to take care of themselves and be productive human beings and that only the mentally challenged or otherwise handicapped people should be given handouts not just lazy people.
 

Xavier434

Lifer
Oct 14, 2002
10,377
1
0
Originally posted by: retrospooty
Originally posted by: spidey07
Seriously, why should I be be sympathetic?

I am very empathetic, I understand, but I have liberty.

It doesn't change my decisions or exercising my liberty. Why are your problems mine? I understand your problems, that is empathy. I am sympathetic as well, but you know what your problems are yours alone and NOT MINE!!!!!!

I give thousands of dollars to charity each year - that's FREEDOM. Give me liberty not your problems.

Relax... you are so extreme, just take it easy. Where does having "empathy" turn into "why should I make your problems mine" ? Somewhere in a very selfish and angry mind... thats where.

Ignore him. He is just another Libertarian extremist. We have several of them in P&N. All extremists are equally worthless. This isn't the first time he has fought this battle either. He never wins, but sometimes he thinks he does.

With that said, I tend to agree with your OP to an extent. I do find that republicans are on average less empathetic and are more selfish than democrats. How far each of them push that limit is very different and there are some issues and problems that this country faces where I believe such qualities are an asset towards what I ultimately believe is for the best. Other times with other issues I find it to be very counter productive.
 

OFFascist

Senior member
Jun 10, 2002
985
0
0
Originally posted by: Infohawk
Republicans don't lack empathy, they just don't empathize with people that they don't identify with.

Sounds about right. I know I dont really empathize with all of the people on welfare who are cranking out babies and living on the system. I feel more empathy for the people who come here from Mexico can speak little to no english and yet actually find jobs and work to provide for their families.

But that is hardly a republican trait everyone is like that to a degree.

 

QED

Diamond Member
Dec 16, 2005
3,428
3
0
Originally posted by: Xavier434
Originally posted by: retrospooty
Originally posted by: spidey07
Seriously, why should I be be sympathetic?

I am very empathetic, I understand, but I have liberty.

It doesn't change my decisions or exercising my liberty. Why are your problems mine? I understand your problems, that is empathy. I am sympathetic as well, but you know what your problems are yours alone and NOT MINE!!!!!!

I give thousands of dollars to charity each year - that's FREEDOM. Give me liberty not your problems.

Relax... you are so extreme, just take it easy. Where does having "empathy" turn into "why should I make your problems mine" ? Somewhere in a very selfish and angry mind... thats where.

Ignore him. He is just another Libertarian extremist. We have several of them in P&N. All extremists are equally worthless. This isn't the first time he has fought this battle either. He never wins, but sometimes he thinks he does.

With that said, I tend to agree with your OP to an extent. I do find that republicans are on average less empathetic and are more selfish than democrats. How far each of them push that limit is very different and there are some issues and problems that this country faces where I believe such qualities are an asset towards what I ultimately believe is for the best. Other times with other issues I find it to be very counter productive.


Your perception is quantifiably wrong.

Compare this

map of states with higher-than-average charitable contributions

to this

map of states that voted for Bush in 2004 ( and hence tend to have higher concentrations of Republicans than Democrats).


Unless you define "empathy" as taking away SOMEONE ELSE'S money to give to the poor instead of your own, of course...
 

Robor

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
16,979
0
76
Originally posted by: Martin
Its easy to reach that conclusion if you hang out in P&N.

Or watch Fox News, listen to right wing radio, etc. But yeah, for the most part I tend to agree.
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
58,055
12,244
136
Originally posted by: QED
Originally posted by: Xavier434
Originally posted by: retrospooty
Originally posted by: spidey07
Seriously, why should I be be sympathetic?

I am very empathetic, I understand, but I have liberty.

It doesn't change my decisions or exercising my liberty. Why are your problems mine? I understand your problems, that is empathy. I am sympathetic as well, but you know what your problems are yours alone and NOT MINE!!!!!!

I give thousands of dollars to charity each year - that's FREEDOM. Give me liberty not your problems.

Relax... you are so extreme, just take it easy. Where does having "empathy" turn into "why should I make your problems mine" ? Somewhere in a very selfish and angry mind... thats where.

Ignore him. He is just another Libertarian extremist. We have several of them in P&N. All extremists are equally worthless. This isn't the first time he has fought this battle either. He never wins, but sometimes he thinks he does.

With that said, I tend to agree with your OP to an extent. I do find that republicans are on average less empathetic and are more selfish than democrats. How far each of them push that limit is very different and there are some issues and problems that this country faces where I believe such qualities are an asset towards what I ultimately believe is for the best. Other times with other issues I find it to be very counter productive.


Your perception is quantifiably wrong.

Compare this

map of states with higher-than-average charitable contributions

to this

map of states that voted for Bush in 2004 ( and hence tend to have higher concentrations of Republicans than Democrats).


Unless you define "empathy" as taking away SOMEONE ELSE'S money to give to the poor instead of your own, of course...

They're only doing it for the tax breaks.
 

Robor

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
16,979
0
76
Originally posted by: QED
Your perception is quantifiably wrong.

Compare this

map of states with higher-than-average charitable contributions

to this

map of states that voted for Bush in 2004 ( and hence tend to have higher concentrations of Republicans than Democrats).

How much of that 'charity' your talking about is a damned near mandated tithe to the church? Who keeps track of where the church spends it's donations?

Another interesting thing about those 'voted for Bush' states...

Link :laugh: