Isn’t empathy a good thing? Well, yes. In moderation. But we seem to live in a world where immoderate empathy is causing widespread victimhood. And our stories are reflecting this strange reality.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Empathy is Not Charity by Patricia Snow
Want to sample my own fiction? I have a lighthearted tale for you to start with. Enter your email below and I’ll send you a comic fantasy short featuring an epic standoff between a possibly predatory mermaid, a bunch of crazy Cossacks, and a sheltered seminarian.
This was a fascinating and thought-provoking listen. A wonderfully nuanced dive into the subjects. Your comments on Silence and martyrology reminded me of why Julian the Apostate wanted to avoid creating martyrs as he tried to purge Christianity from the infrastructure of the Roman empire since martyrs would only strengthen the Church. Thank you for this, and thank you for continuing to articulate why fantasy still has a powerful role in our modern world.