Create a list of Criticisms of Empathy
Outline
01. Empathy Can Justify Victimhood
02. Empathy Encourages Biased, Narrow-Minded Responses
03. Empathy for one person can foster baseless aggression towards another
04. Empathy Focuses on Few, Ignoring the Many
05. Empathy as a Catalyst for Persecution
Format
Criticism Title:
( ) Confirmed:
Summary of Criticism:
An Advocate of this Criticism:
Quote:
Quote Link:
Comments:
Response:
01. Criticism Title: Empathy Can Justify Victimhood 1
Drama Triangle Criticism
(x) Confirmed:
Summary of Criticism: Empathy—especially unchecked—can reinforce feelings of helplessness or passivity, encouraging individuals to remain in a victim stance rather than develop agency.
An Advocate of this Criticism: Joe Rigney (theologian) on "toxic empathy" in sociopolitical contexts
Quote:
"Empathy feeds the competitive victimhood mentality that is rampant in our society. In an empathetic society, victimhood confers invulnerability. Victims (both real and imagined) must be affirmed and validated, and must not be questioned, challenged, or made to feel uncomfortable in any way, lest they be retraumatized." — Joe Rigney
The Sin of Empathy, by Joe Rigney (pp. 89-90)
The Guardian, Loathe thy neighbor: Elon Musk and the Christian right are waging war on empathy. Julia Carrie Wong, Tue 8 Apr 2025
Ideos Institute , The Sin of Empathy (Part 1) May 29, 2025
Empathy Gone Wrong, Bill Muehlenberg, Jul 18, 2025
Comments: This criticism would be Perpetuating the Victim Role in the Drama Triangle. In the Drama Triangle context, this aligns with how empathy can be weaponized to reinforce a Victim identity.
Response:
02. Criticism Title: Empathy Encourages Biased, Narrow-Minded Responses 2
() Confirmed:
Summary of Criticism: Empathy tends to favor identifiable individuals or those within our in-group, leading to parochial, emotional decisions that overshadow equitable, rational considerations.
An Advocate of this Criticism: Paul Bloom, psychologist and author of Against Empathy
Quote:
“Empathy is biased; we are more prone to feel empathy for attractive people and for those who look like us or share our ethnic or national background.” — Paul Bloom
Link to the Quote: Boston Review, Against Empathy by Paul Bloom
Comments:
In the Drama Triangle this criticism would be Fueling Persecutor Role .
This reflects how empathy can become judgmental or divisive—characteristic of the Persecutor role.
03. Criticism Title: Empathy for one person can foster baseless aggression towards another 3
() Confirmed:
Summary of Criticism: Empathy may intensify emotional reactions to suffering and lead individuals to demand harsher punishments, betraying empathic concern for punitive impulses.
An Advocate of this Criticism: Shankar Vedantam. from research conducted in collaboration between Shankar Vedantam and Yale graduate student Nick Stagnaro.
Quote: “We found that the more empathic people are, the more they want a harsher punishment.”
Link to the Quote: In an article by Paul Bloom in The Atlantic
Comments:
In Drama Triangle. Rescuer Misused as Persecutor.
This illustrates the Rescuer morphing into a judge or punish-er—blurring lines between saving and persecuting.
04. Criticism Title: Empathy Focuses on Few, Ignoring the Many 4
() Confirmed:
Summary of Criticism: Empathy often privileges the suffering of a single identifiable individual over large-scale, statistical needs—leading to moral and policy distortions.
An Advocate of this Criticism: The New Yorker, summarizing the limits of empathy in policy contexts
Quote: “The outrage that comes from adopting the perspective of a victim can drive an appetite for retribution.”
Link to the Quote: The New Yorker
Comments:
In the Drama Triangle, Neglecting Collective Needs—Victim & Persecutor.
Here, empathy amplifies individual suffering while neglecting broader harm, reinforcing the Victim/Persecutor cycle.
05. Criticism Title: Empathy as a Catalyst for Persecution
() Confirmed:
Summary of Criticism: This criticism posits that empathy is not a universal force for good but is inherently biased and parochial. We feel it most strongly for our in-group or for those we perceive as victims. This intense empathy for "our" victims can be weaponized, flipping into aggression and a desire for retribution against an out-group perceived as the "Persecutor." In this scenario, empathy doesn't lead to understanding; it fuels righteous anger, dehumanization, and cruelty towards those deemed responsible for the suffering of those we care about. The empathizer thus becomes a Persecutor.
An Advocate of this Criticism: Fritz Breithaupt, Professor of Germanic Studies and Cognitive Science at Indiana University.
Quote that highlights the Criticism by the Advocate of the Criticism: "The classic scenario of the dark side of empathy is when we have empathy for a victim, a sufferer, a person who’s been hurt. And that empathy then flips over to aggression against the perpetrator. We want to see the perpetrator punished... Empathy with the victim turns into a call for harsh punishment of the perpetrator."
A link to the Quote: https://nautil.us/the-dark-side-of-empathy-236192/
"The Dark Sides of Empathy". Fritz Breithaupt
Comments:
Response:
06. Criticism: Giving Empathy But Note Receiving it Back
(x) Confirmed:
Summary: People often complain that they give empathy, like in their family, but people do not listen and empathize with them. This make empathy a problem.
Advocate: Speaker in this YouTube Video
Quote: see YouTube Video - The Danger of Empathy Without Boundaries - person talks about giving empathy to people that don't return it.
07. Criticism Title: Never-ending call for empathy is fueled by a culture of victimhood
(x ) Confirmed:
Summary of Criticism: People who are victims can take up all the attention and it gives them power.
An Advocate of this Criticism:
Quote: "But empathy can also become a trap, especially when one person’s pain monopolises the relationship. The one who cries, or who speaks the language of trauma, becomes the focus. Their feelings are treated as the final word. "
"If being wounded gives them power, then people may learn to lead with their wounds. Sadness can become a strategy. The partner who is tearful or speaks most fluently about their pain gets the upper hand." Matt Wotton and Graham Johnston
Quote Link: Why Empathy in Relationships Is Overrated, Matt Wotton and Graham Johnston, August 6, 2025
Comments:
Empathy means the ability to imagine what someone else is feeling.
Response:
Criticism Title:
( ) Confirmed:
Summary of Criticism:
An Advocate of this Criticism:
Quote:
Quote Link:
Comments:
Response:
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In-group favoritism: People tend to empathize more with those who are similar to them (e.g., same race, nationality, beliefs).
Scope insensitivity: Empathy is more easily evoked by individuals than large groups (we care more about one child suffering than statistics of thousands).
Identifiable victim effect: Empathy is more likely to be triggered by specific, named individuals than anonymous ones or statistics.
Moral distortion: Empathy can lead to partial or unjust decisions, such as favoring someone we feel for over someone with a greater need.
Compassion fatigue: Over-empathizing, especially with suffering, can lead to burnout or emotional exhaustion, especially for caregivers.
Weaponization: Empathy can be manipulated to serve harmful agendas (e.g., political or commercial exploitation of emotional stories).
Emotional drain: Continual empathetic engagement, especially in high-stress or traumatic contexts, can harm one's mental health.
Over-identification: Feeling another’s pain too deeply can cloud one’s judgment or create co-dependence.
Secondary trauma: Exposure to others’ trauma can lead to PTSD-like symptoms in highly empathetic individuals.
Paralysis: Strong empathetic reactions can cause emotional overwhelm and prevent decisive action.
Ineffective policy: Public policies based on empathy rather than reasoned analysis may be misdirected or unsustainable.
Distraction: Empathy can make people focus on individual cases rather than systemic issues.
Alternative foundations: Critics like Paul Bloom argue that compassion, rational concern, or moral principles can guide moral behavior more reliably than empathy.
Utilitarian critique: Empathy can distort moral calculus, leading to decisions that feel right emotionally but are worse in terms of outcomes.
Projection: People may project their own emotions or experiences onto others instead of truly understanding them.
Self-congratulatory: Empathy can sometimes serve to make the empathizer feel good rather than actually help the other person.
Echo chambers: Excessive empathy for one side can prevent understanding or even demonize others.
Definition confusion: "Empathy" is used to mean many things—emotional resonance, perspective-taking, compassion, etc.—which can muddy discussions.
Measurement difficulties: It's hard to measure empathy reliably, making research and application more complex.
Paul Bloom ("Against Empathy"): Empathy is a poor guide for moral decision-making; we should rely more on reason and compassion.
Jesse Prinz: Emotions like empathy are not necessary for moral behavior; culture and learning matter more.
David Brooks: Empathy alone doesn't produce action—it needs to be paired with moral will and discipline.
Criticisms List - and how they fit into Wholistic Empathy
Against Empathy
Emotional Contagion
Dark Side of Empathy
Toxic Empathy
Sin of Empathy
Suicidal Empathy
Articles
AI Prompt: Give me a comprehensive list of all the criticisms of empathy.
Give me a comprehensive list of all the criticisms of empathy.
Give me a description of the criticism.
Include the name of the person arguing each criticism
Include the name and link to the documents where this is argued.
Give the augments for why the criticism is wrong
Create a scenario in the Empathy Circle to show how the criticism is wrong
Empathic Distress
A self-oriented, aversive response to another's suffering that can lead to withdrawal.
Tania Singer
Aversive Overload, Burnout