Denmark has taught empathy in schools since 1993, helping children aged 6–16 develop compassion and social awareness. This early focus on emotional education has reduced bullying and fostered one of the world’s kindest societies. In the US we just give you a bullet proof vest, and hope for the best
Americans don't need no stupid empathy. 🙄 s/
America's idea of tackling bullying is by punishing the victims or doing nothing until it gets out of hand.
Interesting. It remains one of the most racist nations on earth.
I thought you were here for US politics? Are you a fellow Dane? That aside - Denmark is far from perfect. We were mostly a monoculture until about 50-60 years ago, and the tendency is to dislike the unknown… “One of the most racist’ feels like overreach, though…
Go ahead - call me racist. In some respects - using the modern definition - I may be: I grew up in a village of 3 thousand people where the brown family was from Yugoslavia (I’m old).
I didn’t fully understand the implications of racism until I was a teen, because I only heard about it in the context of apartheid (which we protested), slavery (which we were taught was done. Does that make everything I do evil?
I understand your anger. But I hope you know that some of us are out here trying to change things…
We don’t want your help to change things, racist. We want you gone.
Yes. You are. Now fuck off.
Alright. I’ll keep trying, though…
When you racists elevate a racist society and compares it to the U.S., I WILL respond. GTFOH
The U.S. is still a free country - for now. You think black people are too beneath you to call out your racism in Denmark, wherever we may be?
No. I don’t.
as someone who struggles with empathy, I kinda wonder if this would've helped me growing up
Teaching empathy goes against everything the States stand for! How could Americans ruthlessly look after #1 and not care how many bodies they step over if they're taught to show compassion?! Empathy is a weakness that goes against the American Way! Imagine MAGAs with empathy. What an oxymoron.
This is so important now. Especially since the appearance of ego gaming, parents on smartphones, and other losses of community-based upbringing. Why can't other countries learn from this? Probably because the sociopathic classes at the top of those countries don't want the people under them uniting.
Bulletproof vest? Nah, we tell the teacher to get a gun and send thoughts and prayers.
I was told that throwing a stapler is my best chance of stopping a school shooter. But I’d rather do that than have a gun in my classroom. Anyone who thinks that’s a good idea has never been in a classroom.
what a fantastic idea!
US: "I don't recall hoping for the best"
If only the Republicans in our country had had such early training.
Wonderful idea. Sadly, way too "woke" for our present times. Actually, the whole MAGA cult, starting with trmp, needs years of remedial empathy classes. Then they might begin to be regain their humanity.
There's too much old-school machismo and ignorance here in the good'ol' USA for this to fly. And we're probably not the only ones - some other countries too I'm sure.
What a bunch of BULLSHIT. We don't give 'em bulletproof vests, those cost money, are you outta yer gotdamn mind
And in many parts of the world, empathy is just there, practiced daily, because people live in communities, sharing and caring for each other. It doesn’t need to be taught.
After watching those Christian nationalist *pastors* say empathy is what is ruining America, this makes perfect sense. We are SO FAR BEHIND the rest of the world and it’s only getting worse.
Maybe US pastors need to work on themselves before guiding anyone.
We also do active shooter drills in schools 😬
I believe America needs to re-learn compassion. Once we were famous for being kind, big-hearted loudmouths. Now we’re loudmouths, with mass shootings.
Narrator: the US does not actually give kids bulletproof vests. It does, however, give them thoughts and prayers
They get to practice the best hiding spots in each classroom. For real. Regularly.
What about bulletproof backpacks? bpdefence.com
We are so pathetic.
What?? Our kids don’t even get that much.
Oh, I'm sure that kids here in the big ol' U. S. of A. learn plenty of empathy at home from their parents. You know, empathy for fascists, Murdochs, pedos, Dominionists, ammosexuals, antivaxxers, all those good people on both sides.
So grateful to live in a place where kindness and empathy are, in fact, part of the schools' ethos and curriculum. (Unnamed liberal town in California) Well, I live here for now, anyway. Housing/cost-of-living woes are impending for my fam 😭...
Aynı danimarka mültecileri sınır dışı etmeye çalışıyor, evinize dönün yazılı reklam panoları asıyor, neden? Bazı şeyleri eğitmle veremezsiniz çünkü o bazı şeyler kalıtımsaldır. yılan yavrusuna empati öğret hadi
We can’t do this in America because white daddies teach their kids to hate minorities.
I wonder if there's any evidence how effective this is. I've got some pretty clear memories of grade school and teachers with large classes were already stretched pretty thin; and I think kids will be kids; And we all know what the minimum requirement is for becoming a parent. 🤷♂️ (1/2)
Seems like we teach that here too… well at least where I live in California. They call it “social emotional learning” at my son’s school.
Massachusetts has it too.
LOVE!
“In the US we just give youa bullet proof vest, and hope for the best” Not true, children aren’t given a bullet proof vest!
Where tf do we get these vests?
Do they not teach that at Sunday school anymore?
America since the 1970s tried to develop empathy, compassion, and social awareness through public television. The results are mixed, but were successful enough that a half-century the panicked far right has stripped it of public funding in 2025.
“The smartest person in the room is often the kindest”. JB Pritzker.
Of course the Republicans want to outlaw BOTH intelligence and kindness.
Yup. For them, cruelty is now a civic virtue.
It was banned in Florida. They obviously don’t believe in empathy. www.tampabay.com/news/educati...
Clearly in the US we needed this decades ago
American schools have active shooter drills.
They decided to get creative here in Utah. bsky.app/profile/alex...
And when that fascist programmed MechaHitler decides there IS a threat in the school, let's OF COURSE make sure every school has an "armed guard" whose only job is to always be ready to shoot to kill. And kids trained to think that alarm means possible death. www.sltrib.com/news/educati...
Denmark and all the other Scandinavian countries could teach the rest of us all how to live happily in the world! This is why when they do those yearly surveys of the happiest countries in the world, the Scandinavian countries always take the top spots in the top ten happiest countries, always!
No we don’t give you that or anything else. But our thoughts and prayers are with you for sure.
Also denmark has abortions. USA had school shootings
We don't even have enough empathy to give out the vests
We have programs of “social emotional learning” that teach this sort of thing in US public schools and the conservatives fight them tooth and nail, if you are still wondering whether they are good people or not
MAGA teaches hate, white superiority & bullying.
Who is getting Vests?
In the United States, empathy is known in some circles as DEI.
Also as too woke.
Same picture
In the US we just SELL you a bulletproof vest.
We pray to a flag. That is all.
"But how will children learn which ethnic groups they are supposed to hate?"
I'm beginning to regret that my parents ever left!
