Empathy Quote by Walter Isaacson
““Does empathy depend on believing that but for the grace of God, or the randomness of the natural lottery, we could have been born with a different set of endowments?””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Biography of a Visionary, 2018
Empathy may hinge on recognizing that our talents are partly due to chance, prompting humility about others' advantages.
In simple terms: Empathy grows when we see success as partly random.
Key Takeaway
Recognize luck in others' abilities.
Themes
ethics
empathy
humility
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
psychological
When to use this quote
- leadership training
- diversity workshops
- personal growth
Key Concepts
social inequality
randomness
grace of God
Questions to Reflect On
- How does acknowledging randomness affect judgment?
- What role does humility play in empathy?
A Different Perspective
Assuming merit alone can breed insensitivity.
![“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)
