Does cruelty represent strength, and do empathy and compassion represent weakness?

[msc545]

[Telekinetic-Potato]

It's the other way. Cruelty is weakness. It's taking shortcuts, represents a lack of mental fortitude.

Empathy represents awareness and the fearlesness needed for it.

Being empathetic is difficult and living that way is even harder.

[OneViewpoint]

Both have their place and uses. There are times and situations where your morality and ethics need to be flexible and you may be required to do some things you normally wouldn't. But generally empathy and compassion are the more productive choice. It's not about strength or weakness for me. It's about making the right choices in the moment. And then living with your choices. Give a read to Joseph Conrad's book Heart Of Darkness.

[OneViewpoint]

Or watch the movie Apocalypse Now. It was based on Heart Of Darkness with the time frame and location updated from 1876 Colonial Africa to 1960's Vietnam and the last gasp of Western Colonialism. But the plotline and the characters basically remain true to the original 72 page novella.

[Bloodparadise]

Cruelty is not strength per se, because it accounts remorse and guilt..

Showing dominance as an alpha is strength!

Empathy is not weakness, but empathy shouldn't mean self detoriation or self neglect.

[msc545]

What does "accounts remorse and guilt" mean

[Bloodparadise]

When one does a cruel act, the person goes through guilt and remorse.. that's not an act of true strength

[msc545]

Who is it that experiences guilt and remorse? The person who performs the cruel act or the person who is the recipient of it? I'm still confused, sorry. Please help me to understand this.

[Bloodparadise]

When a person commits an act of raw cruelty against an innocent person, if the doer feels remorse or guilt then it is not exactly strength.
If it is done in just or in a clear conscience then it could be strength.

[msc545]

As long as the cruelty doesn't promote a feeling of remorse or guilt in the person who commits the act, it's okay and it's just strength., Is that what you mean, or have I misunderstood?

[Bloodparadise]

Yes.. that's about what I mean.. just my opinion

[Bloodparadise]

What about you? Do you condone cruelty?

[msc545]

I see. So according to your formulation, those feelings of remorse or guilt actually constitute weakness, and an absence of those feelings somehow constitutes strength. Is that a good summary of what you've said, or have I misunderstood you?

[Bloodparadise]

Yep that sounds like a clear cut of my opinion..
What about you? What is your opinion on the subject?

[msc545]

I think that cruelty inherently represents weakness, and empathy and compassion inherently represent strength. Empathic people experience guilt and remorse if they inadvertently act cruel. I think that cruel people are inherently incapable of empathy and compassion. To some degree, this may be a product of the neuronal arrangement of the brain in certain people. Google the term "mirror neurons" to learn more about this. It's very complex. I would explain more here except I am still studying the complexity as a neuroscientist myself.

[RandomGirl42]

In an Orwellian world they represent that.

[Berethor]

Empathy and compassion sounds nice on paper but your enemies would just exploit it.

https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Realpolitik

https://www.youtube.com/embed/sh51X_9A5NQ

[queenofcardio]

I think its the opposite. Cruelty can stem from internal weakness.

[Twalli]

They're usually seen as such, but they aren't. Trump is a bully. He is, that's not a political statement. This makes people think he's strong and confident. However, being a bully doesn't mean you're either. I would say that he's neither strong nor confident, since he can't take criticism or insults.

[katiesmuff]

That is not true at all and if anything pretty much backwards.

[MisterWack]

Cruelty is weakness.

Showing restraint and compassion is strength.

[CuriousMufuxka]

Great question! I've seen and practiced the illusions of strength and control by manipulation. I've also felt held down and completely depleted by some I couldn't appease. The downs hit way harder than any high and mighty. Compassion is just there no matter the intention and empathy is a waste of time much like fear.

[exitseven]

A complicated question that can only be answered that it depends.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/FQdxGpV5aV8

[Pterodon]

I don’t think so but I’m a realist. Why would I feed someone else’s kid when my own is just as hungry?

[msc545]

I should think you would want to feed both children out of a sense of morality and duty, but if you don't experience those things, then perhaps just because you don't want the second kid growing up and wanting to kill you.

[Pterodon]

No I only have enough for one. I’ll feed mine.

[msc545]

Well, you're going to do what you can do within reasonable limits. I think everybody would agree that's fair. I certainly would.

[MisterWack]

By that perspective you would accept free school lunch for all students since students on average don’t like accepting when no one else is taking when in poverty compared to those that are not.
If your child is hungry then you’d need a system that feeds all kids to feed your own in that logic.

[msc545]

@MisterWack I don't think your initial premise is correct, or if it is correct, I've never seen any evidence to support it. You're the first person that's ever even proposed this.

[Mike_Hum]

There's a difference between empathy and toxic empathy.

[msc545]

What is the difference?

[Mike_Hum]

Toxic empathy is rioting in the streets to prevent illegal immigrants who have committed additional serious crimes from being deported out of this country.

Toxic empathy is ignoring somalians stealing billions of dollars because their skin is brown and that means they're "victims".

[Mike_Hum]

toxic empathy is allowing doctors to mutilate children because you think it's cruel to explain to them that men can't be women.

[msc545]

So if I understand it correctly, toxic empathy consists of people extending assistance or sympathy to people that you feel don't deserve it. Is that pretty much correct? Again, I'm not trying to start a political argument here, and I don't want to, but I am trying to understand your thinking.

[Mike_Hum]

No that's not correct at all. It's showing empathy for a group to the point where you ignore the damage that group does to other people and society as a whole.

You have sympathy and think illegal immigrants should be protected, while ignoring the victims of their crimes, the VAST, VAST amount of children who are sex trafficked over the border, the pressure to lower pay for Americans who are already struggling, the hundreds of thousands of Americans who die from fentanyl.

Gays for Palestine is another good example.

This image sums it up pretty well.

[msc545]

So concepts like "damage"And even the existence of things like "victims." I think are at best arguable in that there seems to be a very substantial disagreement in our society as to what constitutes damage and whether or not victims, which are heavily reported, actually exist. Would you agree that those things need to be settled before anything further could be concluded in regard to them?

[Mike_Hum]

In America who should have priority? Americans or non Americans.

[msc545]

Please describe exactly what an American is in your opinion.

[msc545]

Also, please respond to my prior question.

[Mike_Hum]

You really are a Somalian.

[msc545]

Nope, I'm an Italian.

[DrPepper12]

For MAGA yes. Their fucked up version of Jesus told them so.

[Snakeyes7]

Cruelty on behalf of the innocent is strength, to do such a thing you would need sympathy and compassion and enough to ensure it never happens to them again.

[loveslongnails]

With all due respect to stupid people everywhere... "only if you're stupid". LOL

[goaded]

No. Power, maybe, strength no.

[beefcakebradybatson]

To Trump's ilk!!!

[Kingofkings1992]

Nope.

[Ariesman81]

Yes.