There's something that I liked about this comment on a somewhat recent post, but also a lot of it I wasn't sure if I understood. Empaths, does this sound at all accurate as a depiction of how you feel, as a group?
There's a deep psychological reason why sociopaths repulse and scare. I may not be able to explain in sufficient detail right now, but it has to do with the fundamental cosmological view of the empath.
I'll try to explain:
1. Everything that happens, happens within the mind. There is no distinct difference between real and imagined experience; sensory input stimulates the brain, which creates conscious awareness; but imaginary stimulus can also stimulate (we all know this via the imagined realism of dreams).
2. We do not, nor can we ever, know that other human beings are conscious. Other human beings may be imaginary zombies.
3. Yet, logic dictates, other beings like ourselves must experience life similarly.
4. A solipsistic view of reality becomes feasible, despite an innate urge to imagine others exist.
5. Therefore, if our own experiences AND those of others cannot be known to be real, we can at best conclude such information to be irrelevant. What, then, is real?
6. Only the interrelationships BETWEEN conscious beings can be real.
7. Therefore: Empathy.
8. Because empathy is a human being's only solid grasp on reality, the creature incapable of empathy is a monster that threatens reality itself. This is a danger even for introspective sociopaths who realize the nature and meaninglessness of their own existence, because they may then decide life is not worth living and engage in destructive behaviors.
I hope this makes sense. I've tried to make sense of it for years, but it's hard to put into words.
There's a deep psychological reason why sociopaths repulse and scare. I may not be able to explain in sufficient detail right now, but it has to do with the fundamental cosmological view of the empath.
I'll try to explain:
1. Everything that happens, happens within the mind. There is no distinct difference between real and imagined experience; sensory input stimulates the brain, which creates conscious awareness; but imaginary stimulus can also stimulate (we all know this via the imagined realism of dreams).
2. We do not, nor can we ever, know that other human beings are conscious. Other human beings may be imaginary zombies.
3. Yet, logic dictates, other beings like ourselves must experience life similarly.
4. A solipsistic view of reality becomes feasible, despite an innate urge to imagine others exist.
5. Therefore, if our own experiences AND those of others cannot be known to be real, we can at best conclude such information to be irrelevant. What, then, is real?
6. Only the interrelationships BETWEEN conscious beings can be real.
7. Therefore: Empathy.
8. Because empathy is a human being's only solid grasp on reality, the creature incapable of empathy is a monster that threatens reality itself. This is a danger even for introspective sociopaths who realize the nature and meaninglessness of their own existence, because they may then decide life is not worth living and engage in destructive behaviors.
I hope this makes sense. I've tried to make sense of it for years, but it's hard to put into words.