I'm glad to hear that you, your family and your home were safe and weren't among those directly affected by the fire.
I do not have a lot to say about empathy other than it is a very useful adaptation for any social species. When animals live in larger groups where working together is essential, empathy becomes an important characteristic. Empathy is also like many personality characteristics in that it exists on a continuum or spectrum. Some people are further on the empathy scale than others. That being said, there is also a place for psychopathic characteristics in society as well though. I mean the high functioning psychopathic traits - not the ones that are also associated with enjoying pain in others. Many surgeons are believed to be high functioning psychopaths because they can remove the emotion from what they are doing. It would be hard to cause pain in someone, even if it is for their own good, if one is too empathetic.
I'm relieved that humans can learn to be empathetic though. I think we could use a bit more empathy in the world.
YES! You went straight to the point @leaky : empathy was a key psychological process in the formation and development of clans, groups and families.
This is why I see the view that 'empathy is harmful'as a rather oversimplified one. It has made us what we are (in terms of society). Now that we know better we can reassess things and try to put things right from now on. But then, of course, when it comes to intergourp matters, things can easily become political. It is a different animal.
Until then, we can always put it in place within our families, work places, communities etc :)
Thank you for your kind, thoughtful words. I would like to let you know that despite the proportion of the fire, the flames claimed no lives, and we had heavy rain last Tuesday evening!
I wish you a wonderful weekend.
Take care :*