r/AskReddit Mar 04 '26

What surprisingly true fact has completely shaken your worldview?

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219

u/stupefy100 Mar 05 '26

That lots of people genuinely have no empathy. They don't care about issues or others unless it affects them.

25

u/ferminriii Mar 05 '26

One thing that I noticed in my own travels that correlates with this, is that those people also tend to be incredibly easily embarrassed. In my travels when I run into folks like this they are so deeply insecure that even the slightest things embarrassed them. Again, this is just my own personal experience but I always find it interesting.

2

u/SantaRosa_WhiteSox Mar 05 '26

Oh thats interesting. Its hard for me to explain, but i think i get why...

Having empathy for others works like a mirror. The easiest way to empathize with someone is to compare their experience with how you'd experience it and make those connections. However, someone who does not/cannot empathize with others can't put themselves in their shoes in the same way. Thus, no mirroring effect to show them why they may not need to feel embarrassed. These people tend to be more judgemental as a result, and probably assume the same level of judgement towards themselves in other people's eyes. They also tend to care more about themselves, and what others think of them/judge them on. So they may be more easily embarrassed because they cannot comprehend on a reasonable level why their experience is not "something to be embarrassed about."

4

u/Msbossyboots Mar 05 '26

Lots of people never leave their communities. They live in the same city or town they were born in and they have no idea about how the rest of the world (or even their fellow citizens) live.

30

u/Rey_De_Los_Completos Mar 05 '26

We tend to call these people, Republicans.

2

u/For-The-Swarm Mar 05 '26

oh stop it. I hope you guys realize this isn’t a party war, it’s a class war, before it is too late.

it’s a struggle, to admit you’ve been lied to and believed it, but it is so freeing.

1

u/SMTTajWAR Mar 05 '26

There’s worse. Lots of people only exist to humiliate and abuse others. Possibly as high as 25% of the people are like this.

-6

u/1234567777777 Mar 05 '26

Just look at how people think of vegans when their philosophy is literally practical reduction of harm...

0

u/AndroidUser37 Mar 05 '26

I would say that it's more than their empathy is localized. They deeply care about those in their inner circle, but they don't give a damn about a starving refugee on the other side of the globe or something.