A good representative of the people doesn’t wait until it affects them personally, they have empathy for others in situations that they may never experience. Better late than never, I guess.
I think it’s very human to react with “oh now you care”, but being realistic - what’s the alternative for accepting their change of mind? These people won’t just stop existing and there’s already so many of them. Getting as many as possible to change is so much better than becoming like them and wanting to erase everyone in the wrong or some crazy shit.
No matter how hard it is, we kinda have to welcome them, because only that way anyone that might still be persuaded can see it is in fact possible to change their mind, that they won’t just be fully abandoned from society when their “own” turn on them. It is hard enough to admit you were wrong, but us being smug about it doesn’t exactly lower the bar. Of course it’s fucking difficult considering all the shit assholes of these types say and do, but again… what else can we do if we genuinely want to better the world?
A good representative of the people doesn’t wait until it affects them personally, they have empathy for others in situations that they may never experience. Better late than never, I guess.
Such an important distinction and observation, thank you for highlighting and stating it plainly
I think it’s very human to react with “oh now you care”, but being realistic - what’s the alternative for accepting their change of mind? These people won’t just stop existing and there’s already so many of them. Getting as many as possible to change is so much better than becoming like them and wanting to erase everyone in the wrong or some crazy shit.
No matter how hard it is, we kinda have to welcome them, because only that way anyone that might still be persuaded can see it is in fact possible to change their mind, that they won’t just be fully abandoned from society when their “own” turn on them. It is hard enough to admit you were wrong, but us being smug about it doesn’t exactly lower the bar. Of course it’s fucking difficult considering all the shit assholes of these types say and do, but again… what else can we do if we genuinely want to better the world?
Problem is that having social power actually affects the brain, suppressing the parts that do empathy.
It will always be harder, neurologically, for someone with power to engage their empathy or to consider the pain of others in their decisions.
Hence gestures at the world.