[quote=njtosd][quote=FlyerInHi][quote=scaredyclassic]
being empathetic brings benefits regardless of whether you receive empathy in return.[/quote]
Of course. But empathy is limited, no? As a limited resource, maybe we should withhold it and direct to where we get highest ROI.[/quote]
I don’t completely accept the “liberals as empathetic” stereotype. Some are, some aren’t. I think you need to look more at actions more than words. As far as charitable generosity goes (money, blood, volunteering) conservatives are more generous, according to this article in the NYT:
From the linked op-ed:
“When liberals see the data on giving, they tend to protest that conservatives look good only because they shower dollars on churches — that a fair amount of that money isn’t helping the poor, but simply constructing lavish spires.
It’s true that religion is the essential reason conservatives give more, and religious liberals are as generous as religious conservatives. Among the stingiest of the stingy are secular conservatives.
According to Google’s figures, if donations to all religious organizations are excluded, liberals give slightly more to charity than conservatives do. But Mr. Brooks says that if measuring by the percentage of income given, conservatives are more generous than liberals even to secular causes.”
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I also think that conservatives donate more money/time privately because that’s how they tend to think we should take care of the neediest people in society — private charity. Liberals, OTOH, tend to believe that the government is best at allocating resources to the needy, so they tend to advocate for higher taxes which can be used to fund more services and a stronger, more generous social safety net for those in need.
We should not conflate the desire to “do the right thing” with empathy. People do good works for many reasons — religious, peer pressure, a desire to look good to others/social climbing, etc. And many people can feel empathy, but only for those with whom they can relate (same race, background, SES, religion, family status, etc.).
I think liberals are more willing to give to those whom they might not consider totally “deserving” of aid. Perhaps their definition of “deserving” is broader than how a conservative might define it, too.
