I'm really interested in the pleasure we get from stories and the pleasure we get from movies, and certainly the pleasure we get from virtual experiences. My complaint is against empathy as a moral guide. But as a source of pleasure, it can't be beat.

It's hard to pull apart empathy from compassion. What is really clear is that we innately care for other people at least to some extent.

Because of empathy, stories of the suffering of one person could lead us into a war that could kill millions of people.

You 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.

I have huge admiration for people who think like the effective altruist, who try to rationally think about how they can change the world for the better, and who try not to be swayed by irrational considerations, such as skin color or whether or not someone lives in the same neighborhood.

I think Americans are always going to care more about Americans than about Mexicans.

I have two teenage sons, and they're both surviving, thriving, and having a great time, and they're always on social media.