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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIs it better to not help someone and let them die rather than kill them directly?
The omission bias is an alleged type of cognitive bias. It is the tendency to judge harmful actions as worse, or less moral than equally harmful omissions (inactions) because actions are more obvious than inactions. It is contentious as to whether this represents a systematic error in thinking, or is supported by a substantive moral theory. For a consequentialist, judging harmful actions as worse than inaction would indeed be inconsistent, but deontological ethics may, and normally does, draw a moral distinction between doing and allowing. The bias is usually showcased through the trolley problem.
Related to lying by omission, where leaving out a fact is not seen as lying because the person who said it didn't say anything at all relating to the fact.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omission_bias
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lie#Lying_by_omission
I think that omission bias is becoming a key plank of the right wing today, this is seen with their cliche of "Not my problem".
Worried about your health insurance? Not my problem.
What about refugees? Not my problem.
You're unemployed? Not my problem.
"Not my problem" is the wrong answer to human rights, it a phrase that should never be said by people who claim to represent us because if they do represent us then it is their problem, and in the case of people fleeing Daesh, it is no better than their battle cry. It's time to realize that and get it out there.
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)And this:
What about refugees? Not my problem.
You're unemployed? Not my problem.
In my view, such positions reveal more than a trace of sociopathy. They show a complete lack of empathy or concern for others. And these sociopaths are led by a narcissist who cheats and lies to everyone he meets.
Calculating
(2,955 posts)It doesn't make one a sociopath just to acknowledge the fact that we cannot save the whole world. I feel bad about a lot of the stuff, but at the same time there's nothing we can really do about it. No point in letting it ruin my day if it's not my fault, and I can't do anything about it. We would destroy out own livelihoods providing for every needy person in the world. Eventually people need to help themselves.
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)allow people to save themselves. When the GOP defunds government, working people are hurt so that GOP politicians can take actions to make the already rich even richer.
When taxes are cut on rich people and the resulting revenue shortfall leads to cuts in the social safety net, that is a greedy and sociopathic action.
When trillions are wasted on a war industry that basically protects big US businesses, that also is an action that has horrible consequences for the victims.
So while one cannot save everyone, one can refrain from taking actions that are designed to hurt people.
ck4829
(35,077 posts)It does make one a sociopath if one stands to benefit from saying "not my problem" and walking away.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028550932
Have we exhausted every solution?
Even if we can not help everyone, then maybe we need to say "Sorry, we failed, we are not strong enough to help you" rather than calling the other party weak, suspect, etc.
onecaliberal
(32,861 posts)You can not be pro death penalty, pro war, anti healthcare, and be pro life and I don't give two shits what the maggot lovers say you can't hold both those positions and everyone with a brain knows it.
braddy
(3,585 posts)serial killer, or support just war, or carry a sword for self defense, all at the same time.
meow2u3
(24,764 posts)You can't be pro-life and anti-life at the same time.
Only far right nutcases twist themselves into a pretzel trying to justify being anti-healthcare, pro-war, pro-death penalty--especially putting an innocent to death, and pro-gun proliferation and still try to pass themselves off as pro-life.
meow2u3
(24,764 posts)Killing is killing, whether it be not helping someone and letting them die or directly killing them yourself.