Research suggests people who feel more empathy for dogs than humans aren't broken - their empathy is fully intact, it's just been directed toward the only available recipient that has never weaponized it, and a person whose empathy has been weaponized enough times eventually stops handing it to anyone who could do it again - Silicon Canals

Empathy can become selective, often manifesting more towards animals than humans. Research indicates that empathetic individuals interpret dogs' facial expressions more intensely, suggesting a biological predisposition to respond to canine emotional cues. This selective empathy is not indicative of a character flaw but rather a reflection of how emotional connections are formed. Dogs do not manipulate emotions like humans, which may contribute to a stronger empathetic response towards them. The brain's wiring influences this phenomenon, highlighting the complexity of human emotional responses.

"Research from the University of Helsinki indicates that empathetic individuals interpret dogs' facial expressions more intensely, suggesting that human empathy extends to canine emotional cues."

"Miiamaaria V. Kujala, a postdoctoral researcher, found that 'Empathy affected assessments of dogs' facial expressions even more than previous experience of dogs, probably because the face is a biologically important stimulus for humans.'"

"This suggests we're actually hardwired to respond empathetically to dogs-it's not just something we learn through experience."

"Dogs do not manipulate emotions like humans, which may contribute to a stronger empathetic response towards them."

Read at Silicon Canals