Conversation

Empathy is harmful in big groups, dignity is improved mostly by bettering life circumstances, respect is a limited currency.

Quote Tweet

Most poisonous political trend is the notion that empathy, dignity & respect are fixed quantities that cannot be increased, only allocated

Replying to

You can increase empathy but it will not better society, you can improve dignity by bettering society, and respect is the wrong word.

Replying to

We need mechanisms to direct compassion, but mostly we need a society which does not tie financial wealth with conditions for survival.

Show replies

Valid point, but I'd argue you are talking about fundamental respect. Maybe I'm being unfair, but most seem to mean personal respect.

As in: we cannot predicate our respect for life on respect for some individuals, nor our compassion on shared misery, a limited resource.