Culture of Empathy Builder: George Lakoff Quotes

"All of it has something to do with empathy. All of it is related to care. It starts with the idea of a government of, by, and for the people." - George Lakoff

"(Government) for the people is very important, because that requires empathy. What progressive ideals are about, are based on empathy. It's citizens caring about other citizens and others in their country and acting through the government to provide pubic resources for everyone that allows people to be free. Whether it's public education, health, justice all sorts of science and technology development, medical development, etc."
- George Lakoff

"Progressive thought rests, first, on the value of empathy - putting oneself in other people's shoes, seeing the world through their eyes, and therefore caring about them.

The second principle is acting on that care, taking responsibility both for oneself and others, social as well as individual responsibility.

The third is acting to make oneself, the country, and the world better--what Obama has called an "ethic of excellence" toward creating "a more perfect union" politically."
- George Lakoff

"The logic is simple: Empathy is why we have the values of freedom, fairness, and equality -- for everyone, not just for certain individuals. If we put ourselves in the shoes of others, we will want them to be free and treated fairly. Empathy with all leads to equality: no one should be treated worse than anyone else. Empathy leads us to democracy: to avoid being subject indefinitely to the whims of an oppressive and unfair ruler, we need to be able to choose who governs us and we need a government of laws."
- George Lakoff

"Democracy is about empathy - caring about your fellow citizens, which leads to the principles of freedom and fairness for all. Empathy requires both personal and social responsibility. The ethic of excellence means making the world better by making yourself better, your family better, your community better, and your nation better. Government has two moral missions: protection and empowerment for all. To carry them out, government must be by, for, and of the people."
- George Lakoff

"American democracy is based on empathy -- citizens caring about other citizens and working through their government to provide public resources for all, making both decent lives and flourishing markets possible."
- George Lakoff

“The biology of empathy allows us to comprehend our connection to each other, to other living things, and to the physical world that supports life.”
― George Lakoff, The Political Mind: Why You Can't Understand 21st-Century American Politics with an 18th-Century Brain

"Q. Is there any way to redirect the conversation to empathy. I feel like that is what is missing from the conversation.
A. Lakoff: That is exactly right. Empathy is the basis of progressive thought. It is the basis of progressive family life. "
George Lakoff FrameLab Podcast Episode 1

"Empathy is the basis of progressive thought. It is the basis of progressive family life. "
George Lakoff

"There are different kinds of families. A progressive family works like this. If there are two parents they have equal responsibility for their children. Their job is to empathize with their children, to know what their children need. To have two way conversations with them to find out what they need and communicate directly so that the children will know why the parents are telling them what to do for their benefit and the parents will know what difficulties the parents are facing."

"Empathy is the heart of democracy. That is what this is about. Citizens caring about other citizens, having a government that is of the people, by and for the people. That is helping people. "
George Lakoff