I am generally a bit dubious about empathy experiments where we pretend to be another. Too often they appear to be presented as an easy quick fix that will automatically create connection and understanding. Too often they are presented as enough to right a wrong.
But this video of a particularly difficult empathy experiment (a man trying to experience what it is like to go through withdrawal symptoms) I found disturbing for other reasons. Should we take on hurting ourselves like this? Ask others to hurt us? I understand that he is not asking others to do this, he wanted to dramatize the pain and help others see it. Why is it easier and more compelling to see this pain when he does it than when an actual addict goes through it?
I very much appreciate that you are asked to take concrete action after watching this video. Please do so at https://chooseempathy.me
No comments:
Post a Comment