Eric Thayne

Let me clarify what I mean. And what I think Charlie meant too. Because I’ve seen a lot of people cherry-picking this quote and taking it out of context this week to make a point. And that’s neither honest nor helpful. But here’s why I think it’s true. I believe that people generally act out of self-interest. Excepting maybe a small subset of the population that is truly empathetic (in feeling) and altruistic (in action). But most people are selfish. And I actually don’t think this is a bad thing. Our brains are hardwired for survival. For self-protection. It’s a totally natural, human response to living in the world. → Fawning is a very common psychological response to danger → People pleasing is just another form of self-preservation → Most empathy comes from a need to be a certain way to fit a social identity So I think if most people honestly looked inward at their true motivations, they’d find that most of the time they’re acting out of self-preservation far more than true caring for someone else. It’s just that most people either aren’t aware of it or aren’t willing to admit it. But not only is this not a bad thing. I actually think it’s a GOOD thing. Because when people start worrying about their own business, they also stop getting caught up in other peoples’ business. On a surface level I think the world would be a much better place if more people just worried about themselves and stopped worrying about what other people do (which you have no control over by the way) It’s like 2 sides of the same coin. Byron Katie, when asked if she trusts people, responded, “I trust people to do what they do.” What other option is there? Get triggered and bothered and lash out in unreasonable ways? Where’s the empathy in that? But that’s just the surface level. So here’s the deeper one: When people start truly caring about themselves… And I’m not talking about narcissistic selfish arrogance (those are symptoms of self hate more than self love) I’m talking about true empathy, true compassion, true love and acceptance for who you are. Above all else. That compassion naturally extends outward to other people. It’s like putting your own oxygen mask on before helping others. Most people are so caught up in self loathing and insecurity that they couldn’t truly care about another person if their life depended on it. But at our core we ARE light, compassion, and love. It’s our natural state. When you get in touch with that, and truly care for your self… There’s no need to “feign” empathy toward others to look a certain way or to fit a social norm or political ideology. You’ll find so much compassion in yourself that loving others is the only option. And that’s where true “empathy”, or rather sympathy, comes from. If you listen to the full clip, what Charlie was actually saying is that he prefers the term “sympathy”, which is more honest. When you’re empathetic toward people that agree with you, and nasty toward people who don’t. That’s not empathy. When you’re using empathy as justification to push a political agenda. That’s not empathy. It’s an attempt to morph the world (and yourself) to fit an identity that makes you fit in. The only true sympathy that exists comes from deep in your being, and it starts with having it for yourself.

Don't get me wrong. I love seeing these improvements in AI. And GPT 5 represents a step change in quality, accuracy, and ability over 4o.

1. Leave 1000 replies on other people's stuff every day But not just generic comments. Make sure you actually research every person you reply to And leave an extremely thoughtful comment It's simple.

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