Our best hope for the future [...] lies in an appreciation of the fact that, even if we donโt empathize with distant strangers, their lives have the same value as the lives of those we love.
Paul BloomI think there's some evidence that we're empathic by nature. There is some evidence from studies of babies and young children that they resonate with the pain of others, and there's some work by Frans de Waal that other primates also resonate with the pain of others.
Paul BloomBecause of empathy, stories of the suffering of one person could lead us into a war that could kill millions of people.
Paul BloomYou might argue on utilitarian grounds that the best way for the world to work is for everybody to take care of themselves first. And people have made that argument. But I just think we would be so much better off if we could care for distant others even a little bit more.
Paul Bloom