empathy

[captainQwark]

can a lack of empathy be treated?

[Lobsang]

Using psychologist/psychiatrist - maybe.

Using medical treatment - I doubt it. (but you never know)

[Ice_Wolf]

According to this institute, they do.

Disorganized Adults

As children they had histories of abuse, neglect, or severe loss. Their parents were unresponsive, inconsistent, punitive and insensitive. They learned to view others as unavailable, threatening and rejecting. They are afraid of genuine closeness and see themselves as unworthy of love and support. Disorganized adults show many antisocial behaviors such as lack of empathy and remorse. They are selfish, controlling, refuse personal responsibility for their actions, and disregard rules. Their experience of severe attachment trauma makes them much more vulnerable to a variety of emotional, social and moral problems. They are at high risk for alcohol and drug abuse, abusing their own children and other forms of criminality.

[jeb31415]

I dont think it is possible.
Actually empathy seems to be a natural part of one’s wisdom or understanding of other people. Perhaps “treating” is not the correct way to think about it. Ignorance can not be “treated”. Learning depends on some sort of spontaneous desire to understand and a willness to take pains. However, tough(not crushing) life experiences can spurn reluctant students.

[Desmostylus]

Sure it can. Anthony Burgess invented the treatment.

[effac3d]

Why worry about it?
There are plenty of career openings for someone lacking empathy.

[Aankh]

i’d say psychopaths are the poster-children for low empathy.

in their case, the current consensus is that there’s pretty much nothing that can really works. in fact, it’s a common remark in treatment circles that growing old in jail is the best therapy. :rolleyes:
many psychopaths have been put on cognitive, behavioral, psychotherapy, medical etc programs. results were not encouraging.
all that was observed was that empathy levels remained low throughout, just that as they grew older (into the 40s), their antisocial acts decreased in frequency.