Empathy is the New Love

A Rumor of Empathy with Lou Agosta · Apr 11, 2021 · 30m

The idea is that what people really want more than anything else is to be gotten for who they are – i.e., people want empathy. You know how in the world of high fashion grey is the new black? Well, empathy is the new love.

My proposal is that love contains an empathic core in its stimulating and exciting aspects and that which is the “love sickness” part is due, well, to the struggle to unite affection and desire. In particular, that which is the “love sickness” is due to a breakdown in empathy.

The goal in love is to erase, at least temporarily, the boundary between the self and other…