Is this popular painkiller destroying
your sense of empathy? Do you take popular painkillers like Tylenol or
Excedrin? Then you’re putting acetaminophen
in your body. This might help relieve your head
body aches or even fevers. But it might also have
an unintended side effect.
That’s because acetaminophen, the most-popular
drug ingredient in America, was shown in a new
study to decrease a person’s sense of empathy.
Empathy is our ability to step into the shoes of
another person. It can help us understand their
feelings and perspectives … and to use this under
understanding to guide our own actions.
Being able to empathize is a core characteristic
that defines us as human. It allows us to live in a
culture where the betterment of the whole com-
munity reigns paramount.
However, researchers at The Ohio State Univer-
sity saw a unique reaction when participants who
took acetaminophen learned about the misfor-
tunes of others. They observed that these indivi-
duals experienced less pain and suffering, when
compared to those who took no painkiller.
"These findings suggest other people’s pain does
not seem as big of a deal to you when you’ve
taken acetaminophen," said Dominik Mischkow-
ski, co-author of the study and a former Ph.D.
student at Ohio State, now at the National Insti-
tutes of Health.
"Acetaminophen can reduce empathy as well as
serve as a painkiller."
So not only does this drug reduce your sense of
physical pain, but also your ability to share the
pain of others.
Article copied from,
"UNCOMMON WISDOM DAILY"
(Does this also affect ones ability to think with
the mind of Christ?)
This last question added by Don Porter, Sr.,
Does the same problem exist with respect to other
pain killers and is it possible pain medication desen-
sitizes us to others issues whether acetomenophen
is in the medication or not? Is it any wonder we see
an increase in violent crime in our culture; since the
abuse of drugs, legal and illegal, is so prevalent in
the U.S. of A. How could we expect anything less.
donporter,sr
