---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Empathy and fellow feeling form the very…"
description: "\"Empathy and fellow feeling form the very basis of morality. The capacities for empathy, for feeling responsibility toward others and for reaching out t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/sissela-bok-26105_bases_empathy-and-fellow-feeling-form-the-very_1020346.jpg"
---

#  Empathy and fellow feeling form the very basis of…

![“Empathy and fellow feeling form the very basis of morality. The capacities for empathy, for feeling responsibility toward others and for reaching out to help them can be stunted or undermined early on, depending on a child's experiences in the home and neighborhood. It becomes too easy to turn our…” quote by Sissela Bok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/sissela-bok-26105_bases_empathy-and-fellow-feeling-form-the-very_1020346.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/sissela-bok-26105_bases_empathy-and-fellow-feeling-form-the-very_1020346.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e6/sissela-bok-26105_bases_empathy-and-fellow-feeling-form-the-very_1020346.jpg)

> “Empathy and fellow feeling form the very basis of morality. The capacities for empathy, for feeling responsibility toward others and for reaching out to help them can be stunted or undermined early on, depending on a child's experiences in the home and neighborhood. It becomes too easy to turn our backs on fellow human beings... to have 'compassion fatigue.' Technology, we are learning, is not neutral.”

[Sissela Bok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sissela-bok/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Empathy underpins moral behavior; early experiences shape its development, and neglect can lead to compassion fatigue.

**In simple terms:** Empathy is the basis of morality.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate empathy early and guard against fatigue.

Themes

morality empathy child development compassion fatigue technology

Mood

reflective concerned

Type

philosophical educational

When to use this quote

- parenting
- education programs
- community outreach
- healthcare settings

Key Concepts

psychology ethics socialization

Questions to Reflect On

- What early experiences foster empathy?
- How can technology support moral development?

A Different Perspective

Empathy can be suppressed by adverse environments and biased tech.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Fellow feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fellow-feeling/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Neighborhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighborhood/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/)

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