Reg the Fronkey Farmer wrote:

I put it down to bullying, narcissistic parents. So how do adults have more empathy than children?

I have to say from my own personal experience, in the western developed world…especially in anglo-saxon countries, there is an enormous amount of cruelty when we are young at the playground, between brothers and…[Read more]

I put it down to bullying, narcissistic parents.

So how do adults have more empathy than children?

where kids learn such behavior from

– they say “the fish rots from the head”.  I put it down to bullying, narcissistic parents.

but kids can be cruel and heartless compared with adults….

I wonder where kids learn such behavior from.

Yes, but kids can be cruel and heartless compared with adults.  Think of the school playground.  In my experience, adults have learned more empathy (concern for others).

While levels of empathy are related to positive (or negative) emotional experiences I don’t think it is correct to say that “Young people are notoriously unemphatic”. It develops from infancy and is well developed and common to almost all children from age 5 or 6.

Reg the Fronkey Farmer wrote:

I wonder if there is a correlation exists between how full our bellies are and our levels of empathy for others.

I think there’s definitely a link between experience (especially of pain and need) and levels of empathy (knowledge and empathic concern) for others.

Young people are notoriously unempathic, and this may…[Read more]

I wonder if there is a correlation exists between how full our bellies are and our levels of empathy for others.

Another candidate for the ten worst things about human nature:

Our ancestral cyanobacteria (aka blue-green algae & pond scum) had no empathy for their smaller and weaker prey.

Some current research says psycho/sociopathy result from damaged grey/white matter respectively, so the DSM’s antisocial personality disorder has a genetic li…[Read more]