{"id":652,"date":"2010-08-12T13:20:19","date_gmt":"2010-08-12T13:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/apagansblog\/2010\/08\/empathy-and-political-beliefs.html"},"modified":"2010-08-12T13:20:19","modified_gmt":"2010-08-12T13:20:19","slug":"empathy-and-political-beliefs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/apagansblog\/2010\/08\/empathy-and-political-beliefs.html","title":{"rendered":"Empathy and Political Beliefs"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Randy “Duke” Cunningham, who went
\nto prison for serious corruption (he took in $2.4 million in bribes) was an
\nultra-right wing Republican congressman. 
\n<\/span>A few years behind bars have turned him into an advocate of prison reform<\/a>. <\/p>\n

In addition he has begun teaching
\nother prisoners to get their GEDs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

[Too] many students have
\nsevere learning disabilities from either drugs or genetic[s],” he wrote,
\naccording to CityBeat. “During the past 4 years only one of my students
\nwas unable to graduate–I taught him life skills, using a calculator to add,
\nsubtract, [multiply and divide]. This way he could at least balance a check
\nbook.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Cunningham’s capacity for showing<\/span> empathy has grown immensely as his own fortunes
\nplummeted, and he encountered at a personal level suffering he had always
\ndistanced himself from.<\/span><\/p>\n

This
\nis a pretty good example of a pattern<\/span> I’ve seen in among some
\nconservatives and right wingers.  <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n

For example, after Ronald Reagan
\ngot Alzheimers Nancy Reagan developed a passionate interest in T-cell research<\/a>. Such research may ultimately help Alzheimers sufferers.<\/p>\n

Frank D. Lanterman, a conservative
\nCalifornia Republican in the state legislature, designed the Lanterman Act<\/a>,   <\/span> <\/span>one of the most effective measures ever developed to help developmentally
\ndisadvantaged children.  <\/span>If I
\nremember correctly (it’s been years since I read it and I no longer have the
\nbook<\/a>)  <\/span> <\/span>Lanterman became interested in this issue for family
\nreasons.  <\/span>It carried personal
\nimport for him.  <\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps my readers know of other
\nexamples?<\/p>\n

If this is a genuine pattern, as I suspect, the
\ndeepest psychological distinction between conservatives and liberals may be
\ntheir capacity to empathize with others. 
\n<\/span>Liberals have a relatively easy time of it, conservatives find it more
\ndifficult.  This would explain why George Lakoff s<\/a>ees empathy as a classical Progressive value, whereas authority is far more valued among conservatives.  It also explains why Progressives appealing to Americans with both consrervative and empathetic sides (most of us) are wise to emphasize empathetic values, and not seek to prove they are ‘conservative realists’ as the current crop of Democratic politicians mostly does.  <\/p>\n

This possibility may also shed light on
\nwhy “empathy” is such a threatening world in the right wing lexicon: they
\nsimply aren’t very good at it. It may also explain why right wing ranks seem to
\nharbor a lot of those who appear to be genuine sociopaths: people incapable of
\nempathy.  <\/span>There is little practical
\ndifference between them and genuine conservatives until something happens to open conservative hearts to
\nothers.  An apparent sociopath has no such experience.<\/p>\n

I do not mean to argue that empathy alone leads to good policy.  It has to be well designed, as was the Lanterman Act.  What empathetic conservatives bring to the table is an ability to distance themselves enough to develop good policy.  Progressives can do this as well, of course, but can let sentiment overwhelm careful reasoning.    But without empathy, nothing worthwhile gets done.  <\/p>\n

\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Randy “Duke” Cunningham, who went to prison for serious corruption (he took in $2.4 million in bribes) was an ultra-right wing Republican congressman.  A few years behind bars have turned him into an advocate of prison reform.  In addition he has begun teaching other prisoners to get their GEDs. 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