Try not walking in someone else’s shoes

The case against empathy

Actors are not like normal people. It may be that they have heightened levels of empathy, so that they ‘differ from non-actors in terms of psychological abilities that relates to the mental processes of others’. This gives them certain advantages in their professional lives, and probably also has some impact on their politics.

Take David Tennant, best known to many people as Dr Who, and in the opinion of my children at least, the best Doctor. Earlier this week, at the British LGBT Awards, Tennant gave a speech in which he criticised Tory minister Kemi Badenoch, stating that he wished she ‘doesn’t exist anymore’, clarifying with ‘I don’t wish ill of her. I just wish her to shut up.’ This provoked a response from Badenoch and James Cleverly, both of whom decided to meet the left on their own terrain. 

Tennant is a son of the manse. He’s not religious, although he is known to occasionally attend church, but is a passionate supporter of gay and trans rights. In an interview after the event he said that people who opposed the trans movement were on the wrong side of history, voicing a [Tom Holland voice] deeply Christian view of world history (although I think in this instance it won’t turn out that way). In another world, where the second reformation never happened, Tennant would clearly have followed his father in his role of moral arbiter for the community.

Tellingly, Tennant also paid tribute to his wife – the daughter of another Dr Who, Peter Davison – and said that ‘she educates me about empathy and understanding and she has been a huge educator for me.’

It’s not just actors who feel that empathy is important. In a Guardian interview, Gary Lineker described his politics as having a ‘conscience… a heart, having empathy’ and arguing that his critics lack ‘empathy’ for migrants. This may be true, but ‘empathy’ is not necessarily always a good thing.