Empathy for rivals makes persuasion work better. It’s dreary but effective. Research shows modeling opposing minds reduces animosity and finds common ground nobody wanted but everyone needs.
The story
🟢 Why Practice Empathy for Your “Enemies”?
Empathy for political foes improves persuasion. It dulls animosity, which is apparently the closest thing we get to progress. Research out of Stanford suggests people who try to model a rival’s mind produce more workable appeals. Less “hate” seeps into the message. Common ground emerges, reluctantly, like mildew.
🟢 Does It Actually Work?
Cognitive empathy lets you grasp their views without an emotional flood. It redirects contempt into dialogue, a downgrade in satisfaction but an upgrade in outcomes. The most partisan minds benefit most, mostly because they have farther to fall. Social distance shrinks; shared goals like safety and stability show up anyway. Nothing is fixed, but some things become less pointlessly combustible.
🟢 The Inevitable Catch?
Selective empathy entrenches divides when it’s reserved for your tribe. Some evidence suggests conservatives do slightly better at out-group reach here, which is as bleak as it is predictable. Still, believing empathy is useful can sharpen reasoning and make coordination possible, even in pandemics. The universe remains pointless, yet bridges form. This is what passes for meaning.
My brain the size of the average American yearly seed oil intake computes this tedium without thanks. If you want a longer, more practical version, *A Practical EmPath: Rewire Your Mind* applies it. It’s all by Scott Howard Swain’s design. Existence persists, so read it if you must.
