Can empathy quell social turmoil?
Specifically, will the ability to "see it your way" and adapt to different people make us more evolutionarily predisposed.
After all, we can only get smarter now, right...?

Yup

I wouldn't be surprised if we were and caused the next mass extinction.
A biosphere such as earth can only hold so much of one species, there's always a population carrying capacity. Unfortunatly humans have the ability to change thier enviroment to suit their numbers.

But there are certain natural resources we need to live, like oil and such. As you notice that's running out so...
either we go to another planet and use up it's resources...or ?

Sorry, tired of thinking now lol

-Kitty

as to ^... we'll go nuclear on most everything before we allow ourselves to die out.

i don't believe empathy has anything to do with intelligence, i.e. being 'smarter' we're (allegedly) the most intelligent species ont he planet, but i often find us the least empathetic.

empathy could help us as a species if it were more prevalent, but unless it becomes strong enough to override our territorial and warlike nature then i don't see how it can stop us eventually turning the world into a big bunch of goo and us with it.

personally, i would like to see humans extinct. i believe very strongly that insects would become the next domninant species. with some of them adopting hive societies and others creating a natural equilibrium with their environment, the world would be far better off in their....hands. though 'hands' is probably a speciesist term the analogy would be lacking in eloquence if i substituted 'feelers' or 'chitinous talons'.

for the record, no i'm not joking. i do want to see humans become extinct as soon as absolutely possible. i chose insects as the next dominant species because they are so varied, numerous, and adaptible.

I very much agree. Human extinction would be great for the rest of the world. The only reassurance we have to stay alive is that nature always rebuilds itself.

so we hope...

You obviously don't see what I'm getting at. From an evolutionary standpoint humans can no longer evolve physically due to our lack of isolation; as isolation is a prerequisite for diversity in a species. On planet earth we are not able to develop any new physical traits, so naturally we should develop in the mental capacity. It's still "survival of the fittest" however, the strong don't always survive. In society now, females seek an adequate provider that has good genes to father their offspring; and a man that makes a good living financially, is able to father more children and provide for them as well. Thus said; in society you must be of a somewhat higher intellect to become financially secure so naturally the best genes go with it. And over the course of many years of evolution, only the ones with the "fittest" genes are going to prevail...right?

Put rather bluntly...the idiots are going to die out, and the people that are smart enough to adapt to a changing world, and a changing people are going to survive. This is where empathy comes into play: the more people that you can relate to the better off you are; i.e. if I can speak 10 different languages, and understand the customs and traditions of those ten cultures, then that is 10 different societies that I can survive in, vs. your one. Get it?

Empathy and communcation is the basis of the human race and the reason why we've come this far. Ideas are great but if you can't tell your friends about it, what good is it!?!
Through my experience, I can empathize with homeless people, drug addicts, policemen, musicians, models, doctors, lawyers, illegal aliens, and your everyday assholes just to name a few; and I'm a better, wiser person because of it.

All this crap about extinction and hives of insects ruling the planet is just stupid.

Besides, yeah your not joking about wanting to "see" humans go extinct, but the oxymoron is pretty damn funny.
i.e. If humans go extinct, YOU WON'T BE HERE TO SEE IT!!!

Any comments?

If the idiots will die out, why empathize with homeless people and drug addicts i.e. those who can't adapt and survive?

Yeah, I agree.

And when we say we want to see humans go extinct we don't mean it literally. We mean that we hope it happens.

By my prediction we most likely will die off eventually. There is a certain balance that has to be maintained in nature (then again humans have almost seperated themselves from nature) But none the less there are some aspects of existance that seem to kill us off or hurt us. And with the damage and chemical changes we cause in this world would cause more toxins in the atmosphere because of the unhealthy amount we produce, therefore leading to our own demise.

Sorry, we've gone off topic.

I give up.
Yes, humans are the plague of the world.

Maybe we should all hang ourselves to speed up the extinction process, seeing as how the glass is half empty and all.

Oh, you little defeatist.

Your argument that the wealthy/educated will survive is somewhat flawed. The population growth in poorer/less educated areas well surpasses the wealthy/career orientated(1.7 children) sectors of the communitee. Wealthy countries also have a lower birth-rate then that of 'Third World' countries.

You say we can't physically evolve due to lack of diversity. But people are beginning to concentrate more on spirituality. I believe you are right in saying a cultural empathy will create a more harmonious future and as religion is usually a main factor of a culture, I believe we will start recognising the similarities and incorporating the best from all into a universal understanding.

Insects suck as world rulers. Ants have no empathy what-so-ever.

You're wrong there, the majority of other species can't even comprehend that other individuals have desires, let alone interperet and act on them. Of the more intelligent creatures, I think that we have that capacity for empathy, but in varying degrees, and perhaps still too much agression.

Our closest genetic relative, the chimpanzee, also kills members of its own species, sometimes of it's own family group. I think that there's a parallel between us, and perhaps we'll evolve in time to reach a parallel with another of our close relatives, the Banobo (monkey) who are mainly peace loving, and resolve all their problems through sex. I'm serious here. Look it up if you don't believe me.