In a line of reasoning that may come across as provocatively contentious, the author goes as far as to argue that many problems faced by individuals and society can be directly attributed to ‘ too much empathy‘ (pages 2 and 5). The author contends that empathy, ‘our capacity to see the world through other’s eyes, to feel what they feel’, is in reality ‘ a poor moral guide‘ that facilitates ‘foolish judgments’, and ‘motivates indifference and cruelty‘. The emphatic and seemingly counterintuitive argument that is at the heart of this book is that empathy, notwithstanding its laudable profile, is actually a detrimental emotion after all. Conceding that empathy is universally recognised as beneficial, and perceived as the root of kindness and morality, the book nevertheless asserts that ‘if we want to make the world a better place…we are better off without empathy‘ (pages 22, 25 and 3).
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