Skin Color Affects Ability to Empathize

the issue is is this instinct or training?

I've seen a lot of people training their kids this way, maybe not intentionally, but by example.

Well when I say "that's why you wear a suit to court" I would think that clarified that I mean people who are alike in ways that they deem important. Skin color would be less significant than other factors (such as social class - by that I do not mean race). Whatever causes one person to identify with another would make them more empathetic. They might like the same football team, or dress similar, or listen to the same kind of music, but these things that people have in common make them see themselves as "us" rather than "them".It's part of human nature. But it isn't necessarily racism (although racism could be an example of this.)

There's a very fine and recent documentary on human genetics and the history of man, clearly showing how ALL humans are "one species"

I'm still not buying that or the idea that someone can feel the pain of another sentient creature. It makes no sense. I did not feel pain when one of my rescue animals got hurt two years ago.

"Albinism"

That is actually a genetic disorder. Skin color alone may not be enough but the humans do have enough differences to allow for the idea of multiple species. I guess there are at least a dozen different species.

Polka

"I'm still not buying that" You're NOT buying scientific fact? What else can I say...

"or the idea that someone can feel the pain of another sentient creature. It makes no sense. I did not feel pain when one of my rescue animals got hurt two years ago." Where does the article even mention animals? There were "black and white" hands, and then there was a "purple" hand.

"That is actually a genetic disorder. Skin color alone may not be enough but the humans do have enough differences to allow for the idea of multiple species. I guess there are at least a dozen different species."

So, scientific evidence doesn't matter...this is just you fantasizing...I'll leave you to your thoughts. Unless you care to support your theories with ANY evidence, I would encourage you to rethink the idea of there being "dozen different (human) species"...LOLROTF!

Unless you care to support your theories with ANY evidence

Wait. Where is YOUR evidence? I want to know why you think all humans are somehow part of one giant species.

I thought I answered that before, but you didn't want the hear that...

"There's a very fine and recent documentary on human genetics and the history of man, clearly showing how ALL humans are "one species", starting from Africa then spreading out across the planet." You can download this and watch it for FREE...now you can't beat FREE!

Journey of Man, A Genetic Odyssey:

http://www.documentary-log.com/d61-journey-of-man-a-genetic-odyssey/

All humans living on the planet today are of one species, Homo sapiens (Latin: "wise man" or "knowing man"). You can read all about modern day humans here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human

As for different skin colors:

The hue of human skin and hair is determined by the presence of pigments called melanins. This depends on the amount of melanin (an effective sun blocking pigment) in the skin and hair, with hair melanin concentrations in hair fading with increased age, leading to grey or even white hair. Most researchers believe that skin darkening was an adaptation that evolved as a protection against ultraviolet solar radiation. However, more recently it has been argued that particular skin colors are an adaptation to balance folate, which is destroyed by ultraviolet radiation, and vitamin D, which requires sunlight to form. The skin pigmentation of contemporary humans is geographically stratified, and in general correlates with the level of ultraviolet radiation. Human skin also has a capacity to darken (sun tanning) in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

Also, to discuss empathy, I think a definition will help people understand it better.

Empathy is the ability to imagine oneself in another’s place and understand the other’s feelings, desires, ideas, and actions. It is a term coined in the early 20th century, equivalent to the German Einfühlung and modeled on “sympathy.”

The most obvious example, perhaps, is that of the actor or singer who genuinely feels the part he is performing. With other works of art, a spectator may, by a kind of introjection, feel himself involved in what he observes or contemplates.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/186011/empathy

Notice that empathy goes far past sympathy. Empathy is the ability to imagine oneself in another’s place and understand the other’s feelings, desires, ideas, and actions.

A lack of empathy means a lack of understanding. I do not believe that skin color can effect someone's ability to empathize with another. It is illogical.

"There's a very fine and recent documentary on human genetics and the history of man, clearly showing how ALL humans are "one species"

I am not interested enough in that subject to download that. You want to summarize it for me?

I am not interested enough in that subject to download that. You want to summarize it for me?

POLKA: I have responded to one of your INANITIES before... YOU are not INTERESTED enough to download it and read it... but you keep RUNNING YOUR YAP! In other words "Don't bother me with FACTS I BELIEVE that this is true and so it IS!" Is that pretty much it??? You are sounding MORE and MORE like a NEO-NAZI all the time!

See... if you can say that the other races are another SPECIES then it doesn't MATTER what you do to them. RIGHT?!?!?

YOU ARE A TROLL.... there is one way to deal with your type... CUT the head off and BURN what's left to keep it from regenerating!

Now go to your flat-earth society meeting with the rest of your creationist types and leave those that are WILLING to listen to FACTS instead of being a TROLL!

Darreth, reported for inflammatory speech.

Good... You do that... and you need to get your books on HITLER out and look up a few other things... because ANYONE that is able to say that (Black, Red, Yellow etc) (Translate "NOT WHITE") is a SEPERATE species needs to be removed from the FREAKING GENE POOL!!!

There was a LOT of study done on this about OHHHHH 60 or so years ago... (It was called the NAZI REGIME) (That's so you don't have to be bothered to LOOK IT UP... wouldn't want you to have to actually do anymore reading than you already have) and anytime they found anything to REFUTE their STUPIDITY they DISMISSED IT....

SOUND FAMILIAR?!?!?

Are you trying to insinuate that I am white? I am most definitely not! The Nazis has nothing to do with the discussion about how many human-type species actually exist.

WELL... let's see... you're trying to say that whites/blacks/reds etc are different SPECIES from each other... and when you have been OFFERED a link to read how they are IN FACT ONE... you say "I don't FEEL like reading all that... just give me the GIST of it!" You show that you are NOT willing to look at anything that might refute your IGNORANCE!!! INTOLERANCE is a disease!!!

NOW... NOT ONLY did the NAZIS attempt to spew this IGNORANCE the CHINESE have as well!!!

http://ask.metafilter.com/62905/Did-the-Chinese-government-fund-research-into-whether-Han-are-human

(I put the LINK there... I don't imagine you'll READ it... but there it is!)

NOW... let's SEE... CHINESE government... NAZI regime... HMMMM

NOT in really great COMPANY ARE YOU?

INTOLERANCE is a disease!!!

Wait a second. I did not say anything intolerant. I did not say that anyone was inferior.

Both the Nazis and Chinese only tried to prove that their groups were superior. I never offered that ideology.

RIGHT... you only said that they were RIGHT in thinking that there were different SPECIES of humans!!! BUT that's ALL that you meant RIGHT? I believe you!! No... REALLY... I do!

"Now go to your flat-earth society meeting"...Whoa!

Any way, clearly all humans today are of "one species", there are differences of "kind", but not of "type". "Species" differentiation has a clear definition:

"A group of animals or plants having common characteristics and able to breed together to produce fertile (capable of reproducing) offspring, so that they maintain their 'separateness' from other groups. ..."

If humans were of a different "species", they COULD NOT breed together and produce "fertile" offspring. I'm sure your realize the Chinese, European's, Africans, Hispanic's, etc., CAN interbreed and produce "fertile" offspring...or do you deny this as well? For example, a Horse and a Donkey are different "species", the resulting "Mule" CAN NOT produce fertile offspring. It's a sick thought for someone to think of human's as being of "different species".

Otherwise, please show us where scientifically you can support the idea of humans being of different "species"?

Here's what Wiki says:

"There are many definitions of what kind of unit a species is (or should be). A common definition is that of a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring of both sexes (except in the case of asexually reproducing species), and separated from other such groups with which interbreeding does not normally happen."

So, again, please produce your definition of "species" and maybe we can discuss this...otherwise, case closed.