Very well put.
I think empathy . . . of any significant quality and quantity . . .
also requires
a capacity, willingness and active
SURRENDER.
Insecure and the arrogant arising out of their historic insecurities . . . are incapable/unwilling to surrender.
By surrender in this context, I mean the surrender of one’s own constructions on and priorities vis a vis reality
sufficient
to ‘slip into’ the other person’s skin and realities.
In the first place, OTHERS are too beneath the smugly, self-righteously arrogant for such a white-washed tomb to even contemplate such a refreshing redemptive experience—even if all mental/spiritual.
In the second place, the walking pit of vipers would not have a clue as to the first step toward such an empathetic experience.
So they wander around festering . . . dropping puddles of puss far and wide . . . spewing bile and venom at the slightest excuse . . . all the while congratulating themselves on how brilliant, insightful [what a paradox that is!], knowledgeable and powerful . . . or at least worthy . . . THEY are.
Barf.
While mulling whether to respond to a post above about lies, I was think along those lines. Many say that our basic characters and personalities are formed by the time we reach 5 - 7 years old. I see our development as a tree which sprouts into many limbs. As we accept something as true we follow that limb and all branches after that are influenced by that original choice. Of course there are many limbs and many choices as we proceed and each choice is influenced by the ones before it. If, along the way, we learn a different "truth" or have an epiphany, like a squirrel we jump to a different limb with different truths having resulted from the change.
As we accept false things as true, I don't consider the error to be a lie, just a mistake. The fact that we make other judgements based on a mistaken judgement does not make us liars. It just makes us wrong.
In the first place, OTHERS are too beneath the smugly, self-righteously arrogant for such a white-washed tomb to even contemplate such a refreshing redemptive experience—even if all mental/spiritual.
In the second place, the walking pit of vipers would not have a clue as to the first step toward such an empathetic experience.
Narcism is simply taking the consequences of Adam and Eve's disobedience to the extreme. Becoming self-aware introduced all our human foibles and separated us from pure spirit and union with God. We are in a constant battle to get back. Narcissists are headed in the opposite direction. They are moving further and further away from God and into a deepening pit of inequity and misery. Unfortunately, they like to spread that misery around.
What is Communism other than narcism of the elite? What are the consequences of Communism, even for the elite? Misery!