[Recording Start]
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Let’s discuss the concept of empathy fatigue, particularly in the context of diminished sympathy for Americans contracting Covid. This topic came up in a recent article I wrote, where part of the title was “ignorant and proud of it”. This phrase, reminiscent of Mencken, is far from compassionate. It reflects a lack of sympathy and is based on statistical data regarding Canadians’ views on evolution. About 57 percent accept the standard form of evolution by natural selection over millions of years. However, the same survey indicates that more Canadians now want creationism taught in schools, particularly among young men from Alberta.
This tendency to favor creationism in educational settings shows a divide along lines of age, gender, and geography, with older, liberal women outside Alberta being less likely to support it. This disparity might be linked to historical awareness, particularly regarding significant court cases. My writing, which I pursue alongside work at a horse farm or training facility, focuses on highlighting hypocritical actions and unethical behaviors by religious groups, as well as anti-scientific perspectives attempting to penetrate public consciousness. I aim to state these issues frankly, recognizing them as problematic.
Rick Rosner: This could be termed predatory. It’s essentially propaganda.
Jacobsen: Misinformation, indeed.
Rosner: It’s more than just misinformation; it’s intentionally dishonest.
Jacobsen: It’s tiresome.
Rosner: Absolutely, but those who absorb and accept it are not blameless. It’s not just about being lazy; it involves a willful disregard for readily available, credible information. Accepting such propaganda often aligns with a person’s desired societal identity or chosen side. If someone is dismissing reasonable and widely accessible information because it contradicts their preferred beliefs, then it’s also a failure on the part of the consumer, not solely the unethical, predatory purveyors of propaganda.
Jacobsen: I agree with you. This discussion brings us back to the concept of empathy fatigue, or more precisely, sympathy fatigue. It seems like a more fitting term for the situation.
Rosner: In America, there are hundreds of thousands of people who could be accused of murder or negligent homicide. There was ample information available on how to prevent the spread of Covid, yet many chose to ignore it.
Jacobsen: Recently, I wrote an article titled ‘Ignorant and Proud of It’ about a church that exploited religious exemptions during the pandemic in Canada. They organized an event with 350 attendees, mostly children. This event turned out to be a Covid-19 hotspot. The infected children then transmitted the virus in their schools in British Columbia. Mothers have spoken out in the media, tracing the outbreak back to this church event. The church’s spokesperson, who I perceive as a marketing manager, claimed they were operating within legal boundaries and mentioned religious exemptions. But it was clear image management. After the negative publicity, the church posted a lengthy apology on their website, which, to me, seemed wholly inadequate.
Rosner: Absolutely, it’s insufficient because people became ill and some even lost their lives as a result.
Jacobsen: Precisely. In the article, I described their apology as equivalent to saying ‘sorry about that, bro’. It simply doesn’t suffice for the gravity of the situation they caused.
[Recording End]
Authors
Rick Rosner
American Television Writer
Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Founder, In-Sight Publishing
In-Sight Publishing
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In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Based on a work at http://www.rickrosner.org.
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Rick Rosner 