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Emma McKenzie

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If an empathetic society is what would bring about world peace, how can we make people more compassionate?

I mean can anyone think of any practical solutions such as legislation that could be passed or changes in the education system that could change the values of our society?

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    Gerald O'brian 50+

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    Sep 29 2011: I might consider your question more seriously if I cared a little more about strangers.
    Sadly, it's just me and my close ones.
    Perhaps I should be erased out of the picture, then, as a solution... or a start, at least.

    But the compassionate would spare me, eventually.
    I guess this is why it's impossible to reach this empathetic society : the compassionate are way too compassionate with those who are not.

    • Emma McKenzie

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      Sep 29 2011: The question is how could someone like you become more compassionate and don't say its impossible. Or even how can we avoid our next generation being uncompassionate like you are. Compassion comes from experiencing suffering and experiencing it in the plight of others. Perhaps you are either narcissistic or you have never experienced enough adversity to give you sympathy for others.
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        Benjamin Sanchez

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        Sep 29 2011: Maybe be easier on people, especially when hypothesizing about to enforce compassion.

        There are the common guru's tools for tricking people into compassion. Listen to some Alan Watts.

        But the main thing is to cultivate your own so that you can inspire those who perceive your right action, even if you never hear tell of it.

        • Emma McKenzie

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          Sep 30 2011: Can you direct me further to these common guru's tools or the correct Alan Watts material to listen to?
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        Gisela McKay 30+

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        Sep 30 2011: Then clearly the response is to ensure he suffers some adversity! There's your formula for developing compassion.
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        Frans Kellner 100+

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        TED Translator
        Sep 30 2011: It is like Gisela already stated.
        Unfortunately, those that have little love or compassion of their own have to discover this by experiencing the opposite of it.
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      Benjamin Sanchez

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      Sep 29 2011: Well Gerald... I don't think a perfect world is possible, but hopeless ideals like a hopeless ideals like an universally empathic society do serve the purpose of counter balancing our animal instincts to rob, rape, kill etc.

      All people fall somewhere on the line between good and evil, compassionate or indifferent, as a mix of both.

      All someone has to do to enjoy your compassion is become one of your 'close ones'. Life churns our circumstance continually, and it's a good bet you have the capacity to make friends, like most of us. I'm willing to bet you'd be a lot more helpful in a zombie scenario that you'd care to let on.
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        Gerald O'brian 50+

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        Sep 30 2011: The counter balancing is one of our animal instincts too.
        I'm just saying that ideals have very little effect of society.

        Christianism has such ideals, for instance, and has been going around for a couple millenia and supposedly influencing a big part of the world. Yet check out history and tell me if such great ideals made any difference.
        I'm guessing there's only fear of law enforcement keeping our society together. Without it, we'd soon get back to tribal wars.

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