The link between empathy and openmindedness

[Carl-Richard]

Quote

Empathy is a unique characteristic that encompasses the emotional and intuitive aspects of an individual. Empathy is understood as the capability to recognize or understand another's state of mind or emotion. More specifically, it is the process of observing something from another person's point of view, or putting oneself in another's shoes (Detert, Treviño, & Sweitzer, 2008). While empathy does not necessarily mean that the empathic individual experiences compassion for another individual, present research has shown that empathy has strong correlations with sympathetic emotions and other positive outcomes.

Open-mindedness is understood to be the process of showing receptiveness to new or different ideas. Based on these definitions of empathy and open-mindedness, it is clear that the two are drastically similar. Both involve understanding another person's ideas or state of mind, and perhaps as a consequence, gaining some form of acceptance from this understanding. While interesting findings have been produced in relation to each of these traits, little information is available which describes how they interact with each other, or with other personality traits.

https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1033&context=e-Research

(It's an undergraduate article, but at least this passage is well-written).

I think this makes a lot of sense. If you're talking to someone who comes off as unreasonably rude, who doesn't seem to care about your opinion, who scoffs at your arguments, who says you're stupid, etc., then it's probably not just that they don't care about your feelings, but it's likely that they're actually not able to put themselves in your shoes. Hence, they don't just lack empathy, but also openmindedness.

Again, I think this makes a lot of sense. What do you think? ()

 

Here is some other research on the topic:

• "Similar Personality Patterns Are Associated with Empathy in Four Different Countries"
• "Associations between Medical Student Empathy and Personality: A Multi-Institutional Study"
• "Empathy and big five personality model in medical students and its relationship to gender and specialty preference: a cross-sectional study" 
• "Relationship between empathy and the big five personality traits in a sample of Spanish adolescents"
• "Associations between empathy and big five personality traits among Chinese undergraduate medical students"

[Devin]

Well, I think in some context it could be considered synonymous, but, there is currently social movement pushing empathy as an ideology, therefore it now makes it hard to distinguish wether empathy observed is from behavioral conditioning or from a sincere sense of care.

[Leo Gura]

Can a psychopath be openminded?

[Devin]

I think a Psychopath could even be empathetic.

[Yimpa]

As a self-diagnosed psychopath, yes.

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/03/ce-corner-psychopathy

Edited January 22 by Yimpa

[Emissary]

Counter-intuitively, in some instances psychopathic traits can actually lead to more openmindedness. Having little to no emotional attachment to any particular worldview/ideology, a diminished regard for my safety, and no fear of upsetting others with my opinions or observations lets me explore topics that most would avoid like the plague.

Edited January 23 by Emissary

[Danioover9000]

@Leo Gura

4 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Can a psychopath be openminded?

   Not just open minded, but empathetic, which is why some psychopaths are well trained liars with good body language, tonality and can adjust theor communication styles to each person they talk to. Sometimes they even have a great energy or vibe they give off, like they have extra energy. For example, apparently Tom Cruise is very likely a psychopath because I think in Jim Carry's or John Travolta's interview about him they do mention that he really does give too much energy or friendliness, too forwards to the point it felt 'forced'.

   

[Carl-Richard]

On 22.1.2024 at 11:04 PM, Leo Gura said:

Can a psychopath be openminded?

Psychopaths tend to have limited affective empathy but normal cognitive empathy. People on the autism spectrum tend to have it the other way around. I think if you have problems with either, but especially cognitive empathy, then you're less likely to be openminded.

Besides, whether a psychopath can or cannot be openminded is not really the question. Of course they can. We're talking about statistical correlations.

Edited January 23 by Carl-Richard

[UnbornTao]

The principle itself seems to be applicable to many aspects of experience. In a social context, you might be a dick and yet be able to effortlessly question your own stance on other topics. But I don't know.

[Carl-Richard]

20 hours ago, Emissary said:

Counter-intuitively, in some instances psychopathic traits can actually lead to more openmindedness. Having little to no emotional attachment to any particular worldview/ideology, a diminished regard for my safety, and no fear of upsetting others with my opinions or observations lets me explore topics that most would avoid like the plague.

I can agree with that unless you hold those things as a proxy for spirituality (because it can be highly counterproductive for that).

Edited January 23 by Carl-Richard

[Schizophonia]

22 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Can a psychopath be openminded?

Of course.
The more dissociated you are, the fewer ideas scare you (your ego).

[Carl-Richard]

2 hours ago, Schizophonia said:

Of course.
The more dissociated you are, the fewer ideas scare you (your ego).

Care to elaborate?

Edited January 23 by Carl-Richard

[Danioover9000]

@Carl-Richard

48 minutes ago, Carl-Richard said:

Care to elaborate?

   My best guess from @Schizophonia's post here:

2 hours ago, Schizophonia said:

Of course.
The more dissociated you are, the fewer ideas scare you (your ego).

   Is that he's referring to psychological distancing from the mind, which is part of derealization/disassociation as a disorder, and also as a psychological state of mind. Easy example is the words 'rapist', and 'pedophile'. Almost NOBODY likes these labels due to heavy negative implications to one's self image, and the assumed behaviors and thinking patterns, which is why most mind slayers or scammers who want to defame and smear a person, just use these negative labels to create thought terminating cliche. Now what @Schizophonia could mean here is that when the self is deeply disassociated or de-realized, that psychological/mental space creates a lot more of those mental boxes where that ego can just funnel whatever negative ideas effecting it into another neat little box, and store it away out of conscious mind. 

[Devin]

Dissociation seems like the opposite of open minded to me, it seems more like over stimulation of beliefs actually, or the lack of mind altogether, complete closed mindedness.

Edited January 24 by Devin

[Danioover9000]

@Devin

44 minutes ago, Devin said:

Dissociation seems like the opposite of open minded to me, it seems more like over stimulation of beliefs actually, or the lack of mind altogether, complete closed mindedness.

   Arguably speaking, where disassociation and open mindedness are the same, and similar, is that both require EXPANSION FROM SELF. For example, if I want to be more open minded, I have to shrink/subtract from myself a bit more in order to better do 2nd person perspective, to better understand and empathize with the other's perspective BECAUSE if I don't empty, subtract, or concentrate myself down, then there's little room in my mental/emotional state for another's perspective. Do you understand?

   I should have started with defining what open mindedness and disassociation is for better understanding. Here they are:

dissociation

/dɪˌsəʊʃɪˈeɪʃən,dɪˌsəʊsɪˈeɪʃn/

noun

the action of disconnecting or separating or the state of being disconnected.

"we in the West honour a long-standing dissociation between church and state"

Similar:

separation, disconnection, detachment, severance, divorce, uncoupling, split, setting apart, segregation, distinction, division, isolation, alienation, distancing, sundering, disseverment.

Opposite:

association

union

CHEMISTRY

the splitting of a molecule into smaller molecules, atoms, or ions, especially by a reversible process.

PSYCHIATRY

separation of some aspects of mental functioning from conscious awareness, leading to a degree of mental dysfunction or to mental conditions including dissociative identity disorder.

plural noun: dissociations

"the dissociations that one can observe in neuropsychological patients"

 

   open mindedness: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjE06zp9_SDAxWha0EAHZoYArIQFnoECBwQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdictionary.cambridge.org%2Fdictionary%2Fenglish%2Fopen-minded&usg=AOvVaw2UGcxkUKy79bAp3xlNn2fi&opi=89978449

[Devin]

8 minutes ago, Danioover9000 said:

@Devin

   Arguably speaking, where disassociation and open mindedness are the same, and similar, is that both require EXPANSION FROM SELF. For example, if I want to be more open minded, I have to shrink/subtract from myself a bit more in order to better do 2nd person perspective, to better understand and empathize with the other's perspective BECAUSE if I don't empty, subtract, or concentrate myself down, then there's little room in my mental/emotional state for another's perspective. Do you understand?

   I should have started with defining what open mindedness and disassociation is for better understanding. Here they are:

dissociation

/dɪˌsəʊʃɪˈeɪʃən,dɪˌsəʊsɪˈeɪʃn/

noun

the action of disconnecting or separating or the state of being disconnected.

"we in the West honour a long-standing dissociation between church and state"

Similar:

separation, disconnection, detachment, severance, divorce, uncoupling, split, setting apart, segregation, distinction, division, isolation, alienation, distancing, sundering, disseverment.

Opposite:

association

union

CHEMISTRY

the splitting of a molecule into smaller molecules, atoms, or ions, especially by a reversible process.

PSYCHIATRY

separation of some aspects of mental functioning from conscious awareness, leading to a degree of mental dysfunction or to mental conditions including dissociative identity disorder.

plural noun: dissociations

"the dissociations that one can observe in neuropsychological patients"

 

   open mindedness: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjE06zp9_SDAxWha0EAHZoYArIQFnoECBwQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdictionary.cambridge.org%2Fdictionary%2Fenglish%2Fopen-minded&usg=AOvVaw2UGcxkUKy79bAp3xlNn2fi&opi=89978449

I think your logic is based on the false premise that open mindedness is lack of self. I agree dissociation is lack of self, but open mindedness could never be a true no self state. Open mindedness implies thought, thinking, which is self based, there's no 'thought' when there's no self to think. Open mindedness is broader concepts, not no concepts.

Edited January 24 by Devin

[Schizophonia]

Dissociation was actually a bit off topic, because psychopaths are a different matter and just don't have basic empathy. I intuitively postulated that lack of empathy was a form of dissociation (which is still true most of the time).

I meant that from experience the main thing that prevents you from accepting new ideas is the threat of hurting your ego.
 

A person accepts homosexuals, other cultures and practices in general because they do not see any particular dangers there.

For example, I'm not vegan at all, but if you look closely, one of the things that triggers people the most and pushes them to ignore those around them who would opt for this diet, is the fear of a shift in the balance of power. and to ultimately be obliged to adopt it in turn. A more dissociated person would either have fewer problems accepting veganism or not care about it and would be confident in their ability to maintain their diet. Vice versa vegans are more intolerant than meat eaters on average, either out of empathy with farmed animals or because the possibility of this suffering in the universe threatens their ego and therefore attempts their own survival.

If you look at why people are open to right/extreme right ideas (free competition, harsh treatment of immigration, criminals), it's mainly because it doesn't bother their ego. They basically accept that this happens to them “because it’s the rules of the game.” The logic is the same as that which applies to values further to the left, in accordance with their education and the external influences which have shaped their respective psyches.

 

Men who have less anxious brains (richer in GABA, lower ACTH, etc.) than women are demographically dominant in most subversive areas including spirituality. Men are slower, phlegmatic and chill, including in a professional environment, I know a lot of women who prefer to work with men for that.

There is a study showing that testosterone injections make men more liberal. Testosterone is anxiolytic by potentiating the neurological mechanisms mentioned above.

Traumatized people can be very open-minded on certain topics, because the induced neuroplasticity has pushed the boundaries of cognitive dissonance.

Edited January 24 by Schizophonia

[Carl-Richard]

@Schizophonia Wouldn't you say being sensitive to threats to the ego would be more accurately described by neuroticism (proneness to negative emotions, emotional instability?). If anything, a certain level of neuroticism may make you more prone to investigate a variety of different ideas because of the rapidly changing mental state, and being prone to threats could make you more prone to analyzing things in general (and also the way you analyze things could be particularly thorough). It could certainly make you more receptible to other people's emotional state as well.

Edited January 24 by Carl-Richard

[Buck Edwards]

A psychopath can have emotional empathy. 

[Jac067]

We can not know how sugar or sweets tastes unless you have the experience with your "tongue" that is the example of empathy.

You can not empathise with everyone only with those whom you have a common shared experienced.

Open minded people are more empathetic and empathic might not be an open minded.