Podcast
Today, Explained
During an episode exploring the potential harm of compassion, this book by pastor Joe Rigney was cited as a core example of the anti-empathy argument. The discussion highlighted Rigney's controversial contention that empathy can be a destructive tactic, suggesting that it is like jumping into quicksand with someone sinking. Instead of emotional identification, the book argued that true help requires the "solid ground" of objectivity and Scripture to pull others to safety.
Episode: Is empathy toxic?
This book was cited as being from a pastor arguing that empathy could be harmful, and the author used a metaphor about jumping into quicksand with someone sinking.
Most people have a hard time imagining how empathy could ever be harmful. And therefore, if I'm the devil, where am I going to hide some of my most destructive tactics? It's under the thing that nobody expects to be bad.
Rigney argues that solid ground is objectivity. From a Christian perspective, it is the authority of Scripture, the authority of Jesus. And that is giving you the strength and the sort of solid ground to be able to pull someone in.
