But some of the kids in this class lack empathy in some serious ways: As long as it didn't happen to them, it doesn't matter. When we talked about how ordinary Germans profited from the Nazis' politics, because it meant that they could buy Jewish houses and businesses for a lot less than their real value some of them were okay with that. Well, the people who bought the house didn't make the politics and wouldn't you want to get a house for a good price? (They honestly asked me that!) It was just bad luck for the Jews.
Alas, I am not surprised. It isn't only the kids, the lack of empathy is quite the norm these days in our individualistic societies. Sometimes when there's a big awful event with a lot of media coverage (9/11 in NY or the 2004 tsunami) people seem to express empathy but in the everyday life they're focused on themselves, they adapt to the world, probably because life has become tougher and tougher. Ken Loach showed it very well in "This is a free world".
It's scary to witness the same way of thinking in youngsters who should be, because of their age, more generous.
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Alas, I am not surprised. It isn't only the kids, the lack of empathy is quite the norm these days in our individualistic societies. Sometimes when there's a big awful event with a lot of media coverage (9/11 in NY or the 2004 tsunami) people seem to express empathy but in the everyday life they're focused on themselves, they adapt to the world, probably because life has become tougher and tougher. Ken Loach showed it very well in "This is a free world".
It's scary to witness the same way of thinking in youngsters who should be, because of their age, more generous.
I know I'm turning ito an old grumpy leftie.