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Comment by baked_ziti | Hacker News Reader

> According to the study, it seems that people with high empathy are more often people with high empathy towards their in-group...and a lack of empathy for the out-group. I'd argue that it isn't really empathy at all...just a more emotional form of tribalism.

Yes this, especially considering literally everybody is this way. Care and concern for some people and none for others is par for the course. At that point it's not empathy, it's just being the same thing everyone else is.

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Nothing about the definition of empathy demands that it be universal. You should be careful about re-defining something just because you don't like the implications.

I must be an outlier then.

I get pretty worked up about perceived injustices. I cringe when I see people get hurt. The people I've volunteered alongside over the years also seem to care enough about the welfare of strangers to actively participate.

Sure, I've also know plenty of people who don't care about others. eg solution to climate crisis is to cull humanity by 99%, people in jail deserve it, political opponents are traitors.

Though I think most people are in the apathetic middle.

Could it be the case that your in-group includes strangers and those who have been wronged, but does not include some other group of people? Maybe 'people who don't care about others'? Or maybe it's the people who perpetuate the injustices? I'm not saying that you have to have empathy for these groups, but maybe your outgroup doesn't look like what you may expect.

Sorry, I've lost the narrative. In group? Out group? Like when I can't remember which fork is for me and which is for salad.

Why the downvotes? I really want to know.

Because obviously correct statement about the bell curve distribution of a personality trait is somehow whackadoodle?

Or is it because those who volunteer are just virtual signaling SJWs who's only motivation is to mock misanthropes?

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