Discussing
The art of empathy in Papo & Yo

I think watching a movie or playing a video game, basically any medium that tells a story has a great capacity to create empathy.
I think of Clint Eastwood's two films, Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of our Fathers, and how both tell the same story but from two different sides. I empathize with whoever's story I am following, because you see the circumstances that has led them to where they are. When you understand what shaped the character into what they've become, you can't help but feel empathy.

Hey Steven,

I actually TOTALLY AGREE with you here. I didn't mean to insinuate that videogames are better at teaching empathy than movies (though I do think sometimes games have some advantages here by asking us to control another person/character). The reason I didn't learn empathy from the movies I watched in Seminary was because of the WAY I was watching them not because of the nature of the movies themselves. I was thinking too highly of myself and was unwilling to put myself in the shoes of others.

Anyway, thanks for your comment Steven. I definitely agree.

Yeah, I see what you mean, it's one thing to callously diagnose someone's personal weaknesses (which seems to breed contempt rather than empathy, but another to understand why they stumble in certain areas. And i can't think of any way to move from uncaring diagnosis to empathy than story. And i do think video games have incredible potential, (maybe even more than movies?) While i can watch a movie about living with an alcoholic parent, actually running from a symbolic monster like in Papo and Yo puts you in the situation and you can't close your eyes.