Been awhile sense my last post,due to personal time restraints and apprently a mod who did not like the fact I said im deaf on one of the fourms.I think a good issue of one is a bit of social psychology or just sociology due to laziness,Mixed with objective reasoning and a bit of philosophical rejectivism,Im looking at you Kantism.
I think the word Sympathy and feeling of Sympathy stems from a place of being better off then others and feeling bad that your better. Now I can relate this to if you've read my previous blogs my somewhat off colored life i've held many will hear the stories I have to share. Their almost imeditate response is to give out Sympathy in the forms of words such as,"Im so sorry to hear that" or,"I wish I could beat X,Y and Z up" all the way to,"your stories make me cry thinking of it". Instead of making the person fell better about themselves it creates a sense of doubt.
Imagine if you were in a cave all your life and never took a step outside,Then one day you go outside into a town and the first people you tell your story repeat,"Im so sorry" you would be confused as you would have no idea why your life would have to be pityed. It creates a sense your life which you thought was good or even ok was really not with these words.
I think a main issue with Sympathy is that it allows a person a outlet to show emotions without really caring, People have Sympathy with the poor but few due anything about it. Alot also have issues with abuse of all levels as well as rape yet again few attempt to do much about it or try to make a differance instead of just a few choice words.
I have had this talk before and the answer I commonly get from higher educated,some would say people who think alot, Was that instead of Sympathy. As a society we should be looking out for Empathy, empathy allows us to feel the pain of others or relate to them and relaize that there life is different then others and rather then just choice words it will allows us to see what would be the best way to help. Maybe a person needs a hug, or food in their stomach, or maybe just to be left alone as its in the past for them. What ever the issue I think Empathy is something few people care to embrace these days.
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So without more ramblings, What is one issue you can relate to with Sympathy. Do you ever tell a story about a part of your life and get people saying how sorry they are. Do the responses ever make your happier or think what you did was shameful?, would you get mad if a person just nodded and said I could see the challenges in that and either exaimed the feelings abit,with questions, or just moved on.
Comments
Ya Im glad it seems others feel the same way about sympathy as i do, Though it sounds like instead of sympathy after a yelling match or someone snaping at you then apogogizling it would be empthy as they just took time and thought what if i was you and you snaped at me then they apogolized and hopefully meant it and explained they had a bad day and did not mean to yell at you but there boss or so on etc...
I think that may be one thing is that like saying,"bless you" saying im sorry is so normal for some people they do not relaize what happens when you just say a few words so they feel better about themselves instead of making the person feel better.
@Chief_527
I think like with Kayne West what you exprinced was more Empthy in the way you thought,"what would I do if my mother died" I think this kind of thinking is much more beneicail. Instead of just saying im sorry if you knew a friend who's family member died, you may think hmm if it was my mother what would i do.this is great cause then you can focus on helping the person being a friend, or going to the movies with them. Ya I think sympathy is given way to much like,"Aww he's poor" or "im sorry your mom died" unlike empthy the person does not try to help the person who needs help. But instead they say the words to make it sound like,"Hey i said im sorry it happend so i proved I cared and a good person now leave me alone"
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Overall I think politcal correctness in these issues really hinders it. I mean there's no way we can always say,"im sorry" or "I understand what it feels like" like movies and media and shows seem to think we should act. As many people even when I may experaince one bad thing someone may experaince something different.
Im glad other people though the word may not be used. Also like the idea of Empthy in putting yourself in that persons shoes then trying to help them and not just, being polite.
fantasyfighter