Empathy Quote by Paul Bloom
“When people want to inspire you to turn against some group of people, they'll often use empathy.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Against Empathy, 2016
People may manipulate others by appealing to shared feelings, turning empathy into a tool for division.
In simple terms: Empathy can be misused to incite hostility.
Key Takeaway
Question motives behind emotional appeals.
Themes
manipulation
psychology
social influence
Mood
cautious
critical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- campaign speeches
- online forums
- advertising
- activist movements
Key Concepts
empathy
group dynamics
political rhetoric
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we discern genuine empathy from manipulation?
- What safeguards protect against emotional exploitation?
A Different Perspective
Empathy isn’t inherently good; context matters.
![“Our best hope for the future [...] lies in an appreciation of the fact that, even if we don’t empathize with distant strangers, their lives have the same value as the lives of those we love.” quote by Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/630/paul-bloom-3720_appreciation_our-best-hope-for-the-future-lies-in-an_177200.jpg)
![“That is another theme in the book [Dreams from My Father]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we get the black to see through the eyes of the white? Or the citizen to see through the eyes of the immigrant? Or the straight to see through the eyes of the gay? That has…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/00d/barack-obama-17_black_that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams_10185.jpg)
