this post was submitted on 13 Jan 2026
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Empathy (infosec.pub)
submitted 1 day ago by hdp4@feddit.online to c/comicstrips@lemmy.world
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[–] ellypony@lemmy.world 11 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I feel like people with the "kindness is weak! Dog eat dog" attitude have this distorted vision of human nature where if you removed all of the societal constraints, people would just start opportunistically killing each other. Empathy is the reason we didn't go extinct at the peak of the afro/eurasian bottleneck when we numbered less than 2,000 individuals. Sure, we find neolithic mass graves with skulls piled upon skulls. Cracked limbs, gnawed bones, maimed hands, you name it. All kinds of cruelty.

But if human nature is entirely self-serving, why do we find evidence of aincent surgeries? Of healed femur marrow, removed parasites, and makeshift stints? Why do we see marked burial sites made for individuals who aren't necessarily even related? Wouldn't it serve you better to let your competitors die? Empathy was * literally* a prerequisite for the emergence of civilization. It was "let's stick together, and make a better future for everyone" not "hey, let's fly this guy to Mars so he doesn't die"

But you know what. I'm sure the hebephilic misanthrope will do a wonderful job improving the human condition with AI generated child pornography, and over priced cars.

[–] lendra@feddit.org 2 points 6 hours ago

I have read that domestication of horses was an inflection point for the economics and violence in the bronze age societies. A horse makes raiding distant villages a possibility as a horse can outrun humans. These tribal raids turn into organised warfare to the extent that steppe cultures had one of the first cities to be built with fortifications. And all of this happened only the last 5000 years ago.

The history of violence isn't as old as it's claimed to be and it is definitely not innate but something we discovered on the way. I am also not trying to argue that all humans aren't violent but maybe the steppe people are. You find various examples of guest-host relationships in steppe cultures. Even the word guest and host etymologically traces its roots to Proto Indo European, the language of steppe nomads!

[–] ShamanRonin@lemmy.world 16 points 13 hours ago (5 children)

I fully believe that empathy and compassion are evolutionary traits.

[–] Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 8 points 10 hours ago

They are. Humans are social creatures, the survival of our species depended on the success of group work. A single human can't survive on their own, and so you need to be a part of a collective that's organized by a social hierarchy that divides people up into small roles achievable by individuals. In the primitive days of our species, all the tasks were dangerous and difficult, and so we evolved empathy as a way to minimize losses and ensure maximum cooperation. If our ancestors didn't have empathy or compassion, we would've died out a long time ago because nobody would've stepped in take care of the injured, elderly, young children, or women during child labor.

[–] Bahnd@lemmy.world 3 points 12 hours ago

And that for one to become a billionair, one must be completely lacking empathy and compassion.

[–] drunkpostdisaster@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago

Aferican painted dogs prop up the weak in their pack and are one of the most successful hunters on the planet.

[–] TerranFenrir@lemmy.ca 1 points 11 hours ago

I would agree (not an evolutionary biologist). Game theory at the end of the day ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 27 points 18 hours ago (3 children)

People are slamming this cartoon, but it is highlighting the past foreign policy stance of displaying Soft Power, which is a positive long-term objective to help rehabilitate America's image as militaristic.

But these dumb MAGA Apes think that's for pussies, and it's more fun to beat others into submission, undoing decades of any positive forward progress.

One of the reasons that the rest of the world hates us is because while we claim that we aren't all really as bad as MAGA, it rings hollow because we didn't do anything to avoid the MAGA threat a second time. Imagine what we would have thought if they had let Hitler escape punishment, and then regain power a few years later? Right now, that's what we look like to the rest of the world, and rightfully so.

If we ever want to restore any respect to this country, we will have to deal with MAGA decisively before this can be over. The rest of the world, and our own country, needs that.

[–] Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago

You're like the only person in the comments who understand something this basic. Props to you

[–] ShamanRonin@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago (4 children)

That is a concept I struggle with, although I totally agree with you. But how do eliminate MAGA without resorting to fascism yourself? To be clear, MAGA needs to be eliminated. Just don’t know how.

[–] Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago

MAGA thrives because there's nothing in place to hold them accountable.

These people only understand violence and intimidation. Things like institutional power and limits mean nothing to them. This is why they ignore the courts, the constitution, the law, international organizations, national agencies, and so on. To them, democracy, rule of law, checks and balances aren't principles to live by and uphold, to them they're obstacles to absolute power. That's why they seethe when an institution works as intended and cheer when they get a corrupt one to manipulate.

If we had true accountability, they would never see the light of day. Opposition in a democracy is a chain that goes from the bottom, and all the links need to work together as one. It goes something like this:

  1. It starts with the people. The people need to believe in democracy in order to act, because democracy doesn't work when people aren't actively involved in government.
  2. When the people are involved, they need to create groups that organize resistance movements. These movements need to be very principled, have specific demands, and have specific targets/goals in order to mobilize people.
  3. Once the people are mobilized, they carry out strikes, protests, demonstrations, and other acts of civil disobedience in order to apply pressure on the media and other NGOs as well as local and state politicians to act on their behalf.
  4. The local and state politicians on board will then apply pressure on their national representatives, and the ones that don't will be voted out and replaced. Same for goes for media and other orgs, if they're not on board then they will be boycotted.
  5. Likewise, the national representatives on board will apply pressure on their colleagues to act, and the ones who don't need to be replaced.
  6. Once you have a majority of the national representatives feeling genuine fear of losing their jobs or otherwise from the public, then they will start acting accordingly in order to save their own asses. They will turn to the law, the courts, institutions, and checks balances to do their jobs.

During every step, it is absolutely crucial that standards are clearly defined and upheld. If the people see bad actors in their midst, they need to call them out. If one of their own commits a crime, then they need to be condemned and kicked out. If a local, state, or national politician is defying the people, they need to be voted out. If they broke the law then they need to face consequences. If they defy the law, then the people needs to send those specific individuals a message that they are not untouchable. That's how democracy is supposed to work. Each generations has to actively work to defend it and ensure that the next generation does the same.

So when the next time a MAGA like group forms and tries to take power, they're shutdown at every avenue. They're rejected by the people, the opposition, the states, the courts, the media, non profits, celebrities, and even their own party. Anyone who endorses such groups needs to ostracized and the leaders of the next MAGA like group need to be jailed if they attempt to undermine democracy or the law.

This what needs to happen now, but unfortunately the people just don't care. Society's apathy is what sleep walked us into fascism, and we need to wake up if we want to get rid of it.

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 5 points 13 hours ago

Tolerance is a social contract. Those who would not grant it to others are not protected by it.

We don't have to tolerate the intolerant.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 3 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

They are a proven, unapologetic, and ongoing National Security Threat, who have openly, demonstrably engaged in treason, sedition, insurrection, terrorism, extortion, espionage, corruption, pedophilia, murder, and more. We have all seen numerous examples of every one of those crimes.

All politicians take an oath to protect America from national security threats, foreign or domestic, and MAGA definitely falls under the category of domestic threat. Why shouldn't an organization like that be prohibited from existing, recruiting, and promoting?

[–] ShamanRonin@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

I don’t disagree. But I am talking about the millions of mouth breathers that lap up everything that guy spills. The voters. Do we just round ‘em up?

Reconstruction is going to be painful.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 1 points 8 hours ago

No, but we can deal with their leaders, and prohibit MAGA as a National Security Threat,.for starters.

[–] desertdruid@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 13 hours ago

By beating them to a pulp Mussolini style

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[–] lechekaflan@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (1 children)

Those white-power exceptionalism fruitcakes basically want back both isolationism and fascist, racist homogeneity where they want to wake up one day they see only white people and would give only to other white people.

And fuck you Musk.

[–] Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago

The thing is that there was never point in American history where any of these things were true. These dingleberries are talking about a time that didn't exist.

[–] hamid@crazypeople.online 39 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

Ah yes the empathy of soldiers that had a part in murdering my family and the empathy of brutalizing Africa then using food aid to destroy their local agriculture to ensure they never become food secure.

[–] desertdruid@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 13 hours ago

USians are so disconnected from the whole world they think this is a wholesome comic

[–] Gorilladrums@lemmy.world -2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

There will always be people like you who will always find something to complain about. This comic is clearly not meant to appease you. I doubt anything remotely positive about America will. This comic is meant to remind Americans that country's strength comes from it's soft power, and empathy driven soft power is not a weakness like idiots like Rogan and Musk seem to think. Americans need to reject this mentality and strive for greater empathy in their society, not less.

[–] hamid@crazypeople.online 1 points 46 minutes ago

Fuck America and fuck its core strength. I don't give a shit what Americans think and I definitely don't want them to have any power.

[–] Mrkawfee@lemmy.world 87 points 1 day ago (8 children)

[–] Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago

It's crazy how in the 80s and 90s the US was literally the peak of the world, and now it's struggling to stop a senile pedophile as president from going rogue.

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[–] DylanMc6@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 13 hours ago

Empathy is the best thing that anyone would ever have. Seriously!

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago

Empathy is society's absolutely strongest trait. Failing it is a weakness

[–] MithranArkanere@lemmy.world 9 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

The strip stops working when it shows Joe Rogan with a surprised face instead of mindlessly agreeing with whatever corporate grifter he has in front of him at any given moment.

[–] chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world 7 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Joe Rogan always has a surprised face. He’s just totally clueless all the time. That’s why he’s so gullible.

[–] CheesyFox@lemmy.sdf.org 15 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

[–] wabasso@lemmy.ca 3 points 16 hours ago

Oh my god I’ve never seen this. So good.

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 26 points 1 day ago (18 children)

lol those are some pretty bizarre examples of empathy. Whoever drew this is living in la-la land. delulu

[–] Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 0 points 9 hours ago

These are decent examples. USAID was one of the greatest things in the world. It provided relief for millions of people and saved countless lives. It was one of the primer aspects of American soft power due to the positive affects it had. The US was also helping Ukraine defend freedoms, it's people, and it's sovereignty from a genocidal invasion from it's fascist neighbor which polls showed, skyrocketed America's image across the globe until Trump took over. Likewise, the VA, while not a great institution by any means, is still an example of the country giving help to the people that fought for it. The point isn't to wash over the flaws, but demonstrate America strength comes from empathy, it's not a weakness.

[–] OpenPassageways@lemmy.zip 12 points 22 hours ago (6 children)

I'm aware that the role of the US on the international stage is often not that of the good guys, but I'm not sure how you could argue that USAID and taking care of injured veterans are not examples of empathy.

Keep in mind that there are voters in the US who think that we should take care of our veterans, but somehow agree with Musk when he says empathy is bad. I think it's important to show those people some examples of empathy that they would support.

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[–] drunkpostdisaster@lemmy.world -5 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

For a site that seems so ready for an American civil war there seems to be a pretty big effort of pushing away people who can actually fight.

EDIT: down vote me all you want. But owning a gun is not enough if you do not know how to clear a room or set up a effect defense or how to run any logistic system. Plus, its not like there are no leftists in the military in fact one of the best podcasts right now is hosted by a liberal combat vet.

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