Torturer Story

Empathy can be used for good or bad.

Torturers use empathy to be good Torturers. You need to be good at empathy to understand how to inflict the pain in the most effective way.

Examples, of this argument

• Alan Alda

• Franz De Waal

  • • “Ironically, torture requires empathy, too, in the sense that one cannot deliberately inflict pain without realizing what is painful.” ― Frans de Waal

    • Empathy can be used for bad purposes also. the used car salesman uses empathy to sell you a crappy car. the torturer needs to know know what will effect you ― Frans de Waal

RESPONSE: Brainstorming notes.

• Torturers also need 'lungs', we don't criticize 'lungs' and say they can be used for bad purposes.

• There is a chain of events between the empathy and the act of inflicting pain

• have to look at an empathic relationship. The empathy circle is an example of that relationship. A would be torturer and the would be torturee would be in an empathic relationship.

• Do both parties feel heard and understood?

• Do a role play with the torturer and torture having an empathy circle.

Empathy is an integrative process

Relational Empathy versus Individualistic view of empathy