Empathy Quote by Steven Pinker
““For one thing, empathy can subvert human well-being when it runs afoul of a more fundamental principle, fairness. Batson found that when people empathized with Sheri, a ten-year-old girl with a serious illness, they also opted for her to jump a queue for medical treatment ahead of other children who had waited longer or needed it more. Empathy would have consigned these children to death and suffering because they were nameless and faceless.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Enlightenment Now, 2018
Empathy can conflict with fairness, leading to preferential treatment that may harm others, suggesting a need to balance compassion with impartiality.
In simple terms: Empathy may bias fairness.
Key Takeaway
Balance empathy with justice.
Themes
fairness
empathy
ethical dilemmas
Mood
analytical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- policy design
- healthcare triage
- education
- community leadership
Key Concepts
moral psychology
social equity
decision making
Questions to Reflect On
- When should empathy be limited?
- How can fairness be ensured without losing compassion?
A Different Perspective
Relying solely on empathy can perpetuate inequality.
![“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)
