Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Empathy? Or just a cold fish?

Jo and I had this little debate yesterday. Can you genuinely feel someone else's pain? What does it mean when you say "I can imagine the pain he's going through."

Can you really feel a person's pain? I can't. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain of a mother who has to bury her own daughter. Pain enough for a mother to to cry tearless. Pain enough for a mother to collaspe into a heap. I have never felt pain like that. Going by logic, if i have never experienced such pain, can i even imagine what it feels like?

Similarly putting this into a more physical aspect. Girls have never had their nuts kicked in by a football. Are they then qualified to tell the guy moaning and rolling around in the grass "Dude. I know the pain you're going through and it's no big deal. Stand up and stop crying."

Or how about Manny Pacman flattening Hatton Hitman with one punch? Can you feel that?

Maybe I'm just indifferent. Or maybe i'm saying it as it is...

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