Empathy without a Big Stick?

Throughout history, the civilization with the most devastating weapons could force their will on other societies. They were called “advanced” versus “primitive.” Many of them have washed away or been buried by now, but most people still view terrifying weapons with awe. Wealth is worshipped because the owner can choose to wield power over those deemed to be less fortunate to secure personal agenda wants, occasionally substituting weapons such as control over food, wages, water, homes, independence, or safety in place of explosions that damage valuable property. Compassion is viewed as a weakness and inappropriate when applied to people outside the power circle.

Why then, do so many wise sources cite empathy as the ultimate proof of advanced civilization instead of weaponry or raw strength? Although scores of films, video games, political maneuverings, and novels celebrate violence, many humans not starred with educational degrees agree that empathy is most worthy of being treasured. For current sample civilizations designed by people, consider human portraits of aliens in entertainment such as film. Disregarding those extraterrestrial visitors who come for lunch (us), real estate, or minerals, aliens are often depicted kindly, revealing the thoughts of the film’s creators. Thinking quickly off the cuff, we can refer to SIGNS, THE ABYSS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, THE HAIL MARY PROJECT, or DISCLOSURE DAY. The humans are always surprised when a superior foreign civilization such as aliens doesn’t try to dominate us. When they care enough to want to help, we’re suspicious and hostile. Even real life close encounters or abductions are most often recalled as benign, albeit scary. The human walks away. One famous verified encounter between aliens and 62 school children in Zimbabwe (why would aliens have trusted children?) resulted in the visitors warning that humans need to take better care of their world because we share it. Some sources (such as ancient Sumer) contend that humans on Earth are part of a cosmic experiment to see if such creatures can handle intelligence wisely.

In DISCLOSURE DAY, the fictional aliens possess a defensive weapon that humans have seized and use for domination. The weapon, when held by someone not authorized or properly shielded, disintegrates them. Although aliens captured in the film have been treated badly for decades (rumored to be based on fact), they don’t use their superior technology for harm. Interestingly, from anecdotal reports, people with low empathy (and not everyone has the same capacity) are less impressed with Steven Spielberg’s film.

Why would empathy be honored above other achievements when assessing a human civilization? With a little blue sky thinking, we can guess that empathy opens the doors for a cooperative society in which varied skills and different perspectives enrich understanding. Discoveries are more likely in a free exchange of ideas. Understanding stimulates creative thought and greater awareness. The innovative TV series STAR TREK first demonstrated how an open diverse society could make an excellent team. In reality, the crew of astronauts who recently rounded the moon were quick to praise the strengths and advantages of fellowship within their capsule.

Being empathetic is good for us personally, as well. It’s easier to give ourselves the leeway we need when we can compare our similarities, flaws, and triumphs with others so we recognize the inevitability of variation in human behavior. When empathy is turned inward, we love ourselves better.

For those who believe in an afterlife, whether religious or merely energetic, empathy transfers as a positive while material wealth and power are earth-bound. We’ve seen the inevitable destruction of mighty societies. Some would contend that the only immortality belongs to the soul. Why would aliens choose to talk with school children? Perhaps they were the ones who were willing to listen empathetically. Perhaps weapons and wealth aren’t the ultimate power, after all. We have only to look around to make our final determination.