--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An imaginary circle of empathy is drawn…" description: "\"“An imaginary circle of empathy is drawn by each person. It circumscribes the person at some distance, and corresponds to those things in the world tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea9/jaron-lanier-2241_abortion_an-imaginary-circle-of-empathy-is-drawn_2400219.jpg" --- # An imaginary circle of empathy is drawn by each person. It… ![“An imaginary circle of empathy is drawn by each person. It circumscribes the person at some distance, and corresponds to those things in the world that deserve empathy. I like the term "empathy" because it has spiritual overtones. A term like "sympathy" or "allegiance" might be more precise, but I…” quote by Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea9/jaron-lanier-2241_abortion_an-imaginary-circle-of-empathy-is-drawn_2400219.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea9/jaron-lanier-2241_abortion_an-imaginary-circle-of-empathy-is-drawn_2400219.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea9/jaron-lanier-2241_abortion_an-imaginary-circle-of-empathy-is-drawn_2400219.jpg) > ““An imaginary circle of empathy is drawn by each person. It circumscribes the person at some distance, and corresponds to those things in the world that deserve empathy. I like the term "empathy" because it has spiritual overtones. A term like "sympathy" or "allegiance" might be more precise, but I want the chosen term to be slightly mystical, to suggest that we might not be able to fully understand what goes on between us and others, that we should leave open the possibility that the relationship can't be represented in a digital database. If someone falls within your circle of empathy, you wouldn't want to see him or her killed. Something that is clearly outside the circle is fair game. For instance, most people would place all other people within the circle, but most of us are willing to see bacteria killed when we brush our teeth, and certainly don't worry when we see an inanimate rock tossed aside to keep a trail clear. The tricky part is that some entities reside close to the edge of the circle. The deepest controversies often involve whether something or someone should lie just inside or just outside the circle. For instance, the idea of slavery depends on the placement of the slave outside the circle, to make some people nonhuman. Widening the circle to include all people and end slavery has been one of the epic strands of the human story - and it isn't quite over yet. A great many other controversies fit well in the model. The fight over abortion asks whether a fetus or embryo should be in the circle or not, and the animal rights debate asks the same about animals. When you change the contents of your circle, you change your conception of yourself. The center of the circle shifts as its perimeter is changed. The liberal impulse is to expand the circle, while conservatives tend to want to restrain or even contract the circle. Empathy Inflation and Metaphysical Ambiguity Are there any legitimate reasons not to expand the circle as much as possible? There are. To expand the circle indefinitely can lead to oppression, because the rights of potential entities (as perceived by only some people) can conflict with the rights of indisputably real people. An obvious example of this is found in the abortion debate. If outlawing abortions did not involve commandeering control of the bodies of other people (pregnant women, in this case), then there wouldn't be much controversy. We would find an easy accommodation. Empathy inflation can also lead to the lesser, but still substantial, evils of incompetence, trivialization, dishonesty, and narcissism. You cannot live, for example, without killing bacteria. Wouldn't you be projecting your own fantasies on single-cell organisms that would be indifferent to them at best? Doesn't it really become about you instead of the cause at that point?”” [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Empathy is a mutable circle; expanding it reshapes morality, while limits create ethical boundaries. **In simple terms:** Empathy scope defines moral inclusion. Key Takeaway Reflect on who you include/exclude. Themes empathy morality inclusion ethics social boundaries Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - policy making - activism - education - conflict resolution Key Concepts philosophy social psychology political theory Questions to Reflect On - Where do you draw the line? - How does empathy affect justice? A Different Perspective Expanding empathy may dilute responsibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abortion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abortion/) [Animal Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-rights-2/) [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Great man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-man/) [Liberal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberal/) [Pregnant women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pregnant-women/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) ## Related quotes > [Like works of literature, mathematical ideas help expand our circle of empathy, liberating us from the tyranny of a single, parochial point of view.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tammet/like-works-of-literature-mathematical-ideas-help-expand-our-circle-of-2/) [Daniel Tammet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-tammet/) > [“Good fiction can help us to expand our circle of empathy to include people unlike ourselves.- R' Eitan Levy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eitan-levy/good-fiction-can-help-us-to-expand-our-circle-of-empathy-to-include/) Eitan Levy > [“Like works of literature, mathematical ideas help expand our circle of empathy, liberating us from the tyranny of a single, parochial point of view.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tammet-thinking-in-numbers-how-maths-illuminates-our-lives/like-works-of-literature-mathematical-ideas-help-expand-our-circle-of/) Daniel Tammet Thinking in Numbers How Maths Illuminates Our Lives > [“The other problem with empathy is that it is too parochial to serve as a force for a universal consideration of people’s interests. Mirror…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-other-problem-with-empathy-is-that-it-is-too-parochial-to-serve/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Golf is not, and never has been, a fair game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/golf-is-not-and-never-has-been-a-fair-game/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [I'll be a fan of the XFL, and if they want me to do something, then I'd love to... not to play. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-mcafee/i-ll-be-a-fan-of-the-xfl-and-if-they-want-me-to-do-something-then-i-d/) [Pat McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-mcafee/) > [I have certain rules for snooping, under which anything out in the open is fair game. 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So 'Fair Game' was the chance to go a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/the-more-real-i-got-on-the-bourne-identity-the-more-interesting-it/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [I will probably have sex with Eminem after the show is over. Probably, I dont see why I wouldnt. Im fair game, its not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-will-probably-have-sex-with-eminem-after-the-show-is-over-probably/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [There's a difference between fair game and playing games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/there-s-a-difference-between-fair-game-and-playing-games/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Taking out werewolves, I gather and surmise, is akin to taking out a SEAL team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/taking-out-werewolves-i-gather-and-surmise-is-akin-to-taking-out-a/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [“ The Ten Commandments As Interpreted by Robin Palmetier 1. Don’t lie. Unless it’s to the police. 2. Don’t cheat your customers. 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We really have to revive the beautiful intellectual joy of it, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/we-re-losing-track-of-the-vastness-of-the-potential-for-computer/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [Of all the things you can spend a lot of money on, the only things you expect to fail frequently are software and medicine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/of-all-the-things-you-can-spend-a-lot-of-money-on-the-only-things-you/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [ At the turn of the \[21st\] century it was really Sergey Brin at Google who just had the thought of, well, if we give… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/at-the-turn-of-the-21st-century-it-was-really-sergey-brin-at-google/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [The mass culture of childhood right now is astonishingly technical. Little kids know their Unix path punctuation so they can get around the Web,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/the-mass-culture-of-childhood-right-now-is-astonishingly-technical/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [Wal-Mart impoverished its own customer base. Google is facing exactly the same issue long-term, although not yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/wal-mart-impoverished-its-own-customer-base-google-is-facing-exactly/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) [Explore all 173 Jaron Lanier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) ## More Abortion quotes > [“Conception is the beginning of human life. From the time that an ovum is fertilized a new life begins that is neither that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/conception-is-the-beginning-of-human-life-from-the-time-that-an-ovum/) Declaration on Procured Abortion Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1974 > [Hey everyone, in case y'all didn't hear, I'm pregnat, and after discussing it w/ my family, I've decided to get an abortion, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-badesheim/hey-everyone-in-case-y-all-didn-t-hear-i-m-pregnat-and-after/) Madison Badesheim > [There was no mistake in us making abortion legal and available on demand. That was what we call progress. 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Many base that claim on China's strict population laws, which allow them to have only one child.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/the-chinese-describe-themselves-as-political-refugees-many-base-that/) [Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/) > [I'm a pro-life candidate because I believe that science is proving us right every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/i-m-a-pro-life-candidate-because-i-believe-that-science-is-proving-us/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion…has been born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-noticed-that-everyone-who-is-for-abortion-has-been-born/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [We talk a lot about how abortion is a medical procedure, but actually if you look at what the other side is doing, they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-northup/we-talk-a-lot-about-how-abortion-is-a-medical-procedure-but-actually/) [Nancy Northup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-northup/) > [“The Vatican won't prosecute pedophile priests but I decide I'm not ready for motherhood and it's condemnation for me? 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That means I am opposed to abortion at any stage of pregnancy, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hawley/i-am-100-percent-pro-life-and-have-been-my-whole-life-that-means-i-am/) [Josh Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hawley/) > [Any woman should have the right to a safe and legal abortion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-ford/any-woman-should-have-the-right-to-a-safe-and-legal-abortion/) [Betty Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-ford/) > [“For Republicans, life begins at conception but ends at birth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-adam-snyder/for-republicans-life-begins-at-conception-but-ends-at-birth/) [J.Adam Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-adam-snyder/) > [I think fundamentally, the real power behind the anti-choice movement in regard to abortion and the opposition to the rights of LGBT Americans is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-w-lynn/i-think-fundamentally-the-real-power-behind-the-anti-choice-movement/) [Barry W. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-w-lynn/) [Browse all 1,629 Abortion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abortion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“An imaginary circle of empathy is drawn by each person. It circumscribes the person at some distance, and corresponds to those things in the world that deserve empathy. I like the term \"empathy\" because it has spiritual overtones. A term like \"sympathy\" or \"allegiance\" might be more precise, but I want the chosen term to be slightly mystical, to suggest that we might not be able to fully understand what goes on between us and others, that we should leave open the possibility that the relationship can't be represented in a digital database. If someone falls within your circle of empathy, you wouldn't want to see him or her killed. Something that is clearly outside the circle is fair game. For instance, most people would place all other people within the circle, but most of us are willing to see bacteria killed when we brush our teeth, and certainly don't worry when we see an inanimate rock tossed aside to keep a trail clear. The tricky part is that some entities reside close to the edge of the circle. The deepest controversies often involve whether something or someone should lie just inside or just outside the circle. For instance, the idea of slavery depends on the placement of the slave outside the circle, to make some people nonhuman. Widening the circle to include all people and end slavery has been one of the epic strands of the human story - and it isn't quite over yet. A great many other controversies fit well in the model. The fight over abortion asks whether a fetus or embryo should be in the circle or not, and the animal rights debate asks the same about animals. When you change the contents of your circle, you change your conception of yourself. The center of the circle shifts as its perimeter is changed. The liberal impulse is to expand the circle, while conservatives tend to want to restrain or even contract the circle. Empathy Inflation and Metaphysical Ambiguity Are there any legitimate reasons not to expand the circle as much as possible? There are. To expand the circle indefinitely can lead to oppression, because the rights of potential entities (as perceived by only some people) can conflict with the rights of indisputably real people. An obvious example of this is found in the abortion debate. If outlawing abortions did not involve commandeering control of the bodies of other people (pregnant women, in this case), then there wouldn't be much controversy. We would find an easy accommodation. Empathy inflation can also lead to the lesser, but still substantial, evils of incompetence, trivialization, dishonesty, and narcissism. You cannot live, for example, without killing bacteria. 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