Empathy

[Vertigo Swirl]

I know lots of people who don't believe the version of events which we have been spoon fed since 2007, people are certainly entitled to an opinion on this. It could have been all so different had the parents of the missing child followed convention and not attacked the very police force charged with finding their missing child.

In what way could the outcome for the McCanns have been different John (and what exactly has this got to do with the thread subject)?

[John]

Empathy is something which has been mentioned frequently in connection with this case, with some claiming they have it and accusing others of lacking it.

So what do people think it is, why do people think they possess it and why do they think others lack it?

Renowned psychologists Daniel Goleman and Paul Ekman have identified three types of empathy: Cognitive, Emotional and Compassionate.

Cognitive empathy is described as understanding another's feelings but not sharing them.
Emotional empathy is described as actually feeling another's pain.
Compassionate empathy is described as not only understanding and feeling another's pain, it leads to action too; helping if help is needed.
https://takecasper.com/2020/06/empathy-1/

My opinion is that empathy is a choice. People extend it to those they understand and connect with, but find it much harder to extend it to those they don't understand and connect with.

In the context of this board, feeling all three types of empathy for the McCanns is fairly easy if you accept the facts as they describe them. A nice middle class couple in caring professions had their daughter snatched almost 14 years ago and have never stopped searching for her in hopes that she's still out there somewhere.

It's much more difficult to feel empathy for Goncalo Amaral if you accept the facts as described by the McCanns. He didn't accept those facts and he wrote a book explaining why.

Both the McCanns and Amaral must have suffered, that's beyond doubt imo. Therefore empathy for their feelings must be a matter of choice by observers imo.

For many the empathy is directed towards Madeleine and not her parents as they judge them to have failed the child.

[Vertigo Swirl]

For many the empathy is directed towards Madeleine and not her parents as they judge them to have failed the child.

It is possible to feel empathy for people who you perceive have done wrong you know.

[John]

In what way could the outcome for the McCanns have been different John (and what exactly has this got to do with the thread subject)?

The words "full cooperation" come to mind.

[G-Unit]

At the stage I am talking about no one was questioning their version of events, they weren’t being accused online of a cover up they were simply being lambasted for leaving their kids alone while they “went on the piss”.

There's quite a few claims there that need corroberating imo. When did the stage begin and end? Did it end after the story by Diário de Notícias on 05.05.2007 saying "This is a very badly told story", when it emerged that there was no evidence of a break-in at the apartment, despite that being widely reported in the UK press?
http://themaddiecasefiles.com/this-is-a-very-badly-told-story-dn-05-05-2007-t133.html

[John]

It is possible to feel empathy for people who you perceive have done wrong you know.

In my view they did do wrong and have accepted they did so which ultimately will allow some to feel some empathy towards them. They did themselves no favours however in the aftermath of the disappearance and that is why their version of events has attracted so much scrutiny over the last 14 years.

[kizzy]

FYI the fund for Amaral's defence attracted 2791 donations, many of which were multiple donations from the same named individuals.  By any measure that is not massive international support, nothing like that seen for the McCanns.  Whatever happened to his donations anyway?  I guess that's for another thread....

Well, 2791 is a lot more than the hundreds you first quoted.

The target was met in not time so imo if the amount had been consierably higher it could have been met.

Spose we will never know at least the empathy of 2791 will have been happy there donations paid off IMO

[Brietta]

I understand the dictionary definition of "empathy" and I understand what "empathy" is.  Which is why I cannot for the life of me I fail to understand why such a word with so many beautiful interpretations has been hijacked to be used in the unrelenting insinuations polluting the internet against an innocent family.

[Vertigo Swirl]

The words "full cooperation" come to mind.

That doesn't answer either of my questions.

[Vertigo Swirl]

There's quite a few claims there that need corroberating imo. When did the stage begin and end? Did it end after the story by Diário de Notícias on 05.05.2007 saying "This is a very badly told story", when it emerged that there was no evidence of a break-in at the apartment, despite that being widely reported in the UK press?
http://themaddiecasefiles.com/this-is-a-very-badly-told-story-dn-05-05-2007-t133.html

Were you on social media in the days after the story broke and people were commenting about it online?  If not then you're going to have to take my word for it - even Faithlilly has confirmed that what i said is correct.

[Vertigo Swirl]

Well, 2791 is a lot more than the hundreds you first quoted.

The target was met in not time so imo if the amount had been consierably higher it could have been met.

Spose we will never know at least the empathy of 2791 will have been happy there donations paid off IMO

I believe it was hundreds and not thousands for the reason I have already stated - multiple donations (in some cases six or more separate donations) by the same individuals.  But so what if it was hundreds, thousands or millions, I didn't think this thread was about who won the Most Empathy Received Competition, nor that there was a direct correlation between pounds donated and empathy shared. 

[G-Unit]

I understand the dictionary definition of "empathy" and I understand what "empathy" is.  Which is why I cannot for the life of me I fail to understand why such a word with so many beautiful interpretations has been hijacked to be used in the unrelenting insinuations polluting the internet against an innocent family.

The only people I have seen using the word is those who support the McCanns. They have persistently accused others of lacking this attribute while simultaneously suggesting that those who they are accusing are in some way inferior imo.

[Brietta]

The only people I have seen using the word is those who support the McCanns. They have persistently accused others of lacking this attribute while simultaneously suggesting that those who they are accusing are in some way inferior imo.

In 2015 you wrote ... "I can easily imagine how it feels for innocent parents to lose a child, and I can empathise with that. The problem arises with the word 'innocent'. As Leicestershire police pointed out;" http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6765.msg286567#msg286567 which would appear to indicate that you have had a particular bee obsessing in your bonnet for quite some time.

[Vertigo Swirl]

The only people I have seen using the word is those who support the McCanns. They have persistently accused others of lacking this attribute while simultaneously suggesting that those who they are accusing are in some way inferior imo.

So this thread is a basically a rebuke to those people then?

[jassi]

In 2015 you wrote ... "I can easily imagine how it feels for innocent parents to lose a child, and I can empathise with that. The problem arises with the word 'innocent'. As Leicestershire police pointed out;" http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6765.msg286567#msg286567 which would appear to indicate that you have had a particular bee obsessing in your bonnet for quite some time.

I think quite a few others can be accused of obsession.