Empathy is great, relating to others people's issues and pain, becoming stronger, and broadening your perspective; All the cliches about suffering (not roasting). Empathy allows for people to contribute to a good cause, donate, become activists, and more.
But, within the majority of humans who are capable of feeling emotions, there is a very small percentage of those who don't possess empathy. I am referring to those with an antisocial personality disorder--sociopaths and psychopaths--which means that without empathy they don't have morals since right and wrong is based on the effects it has on people. Like if I steal that money is that bad? I don't know since I don't feel bad for the person the money belongs to. Or you do have a loose standard of morals but I'll still steal and it won't affect me.
Apathetic people won't feel or care about the suffering of people or animals. Is that bad? Because they don't feel emotions like the vast majority does. And does humankind look down on apathetic people. I mean in all of history people with mental health problems are isolated, rejected, and deemed inferior because they are different or because people are scared and rashly judge and label them malicious, dangerous, and IMMORAL.
Yes serial killers are all psychopaths but not all psychopaths are serial killers. I guess how I'm trying to relate apathy, empathy, and suffering to Peter Singer together is that not everyone has the means to be an animal activist, charitable, giving aid, volunteering, and doing good.
And it goes farther than the extremes of having an antisocial personality disorder: People with other mental health issues like depression, manic depression, and schizophrenia. People who have a low income, abusive environments, and many more life inhibiting problems. Some people don't have the time and resources to debate questions like this but those who do can make a huge difference and provide much needed aid globally.
Anyways we all live together and some can make a difference, help, change their lifestyle, have a sustainable and environmentally friendly life while others manage to live their lives with their own life inhibiting issues. And it doesn't mean one is better or worse than the other. If you think that well I'm sorry that some privileges aren't attainable for others as they are for you and you can't damn see that.
And this is not to say that people who do face frequent life hindering problems can't make a difference.
Great post! I hadn't thought about mental illness as being a barrier to contributing to the greater good and you bring up a good point. While reading this I thought about what Frankl said about the second stage prisoners went through at the camps: apathy. This feeling, or lack thereof, came around when they were at their worst and could not think past their own physical needs.
ReplyDelete