Acquiring Empathy through Essays

“I know, I know. I’ve probably lost you. Everyone hates essays” writes William Bradley in Utne Reader piece “Acquiring Empathy Through Essays.”
But just look at the title!  Don’t we all need a little help in the empathy department?  Would it help motivate student writers to create clearer, more precisely details works if they knew it would generate increased understanding of their position on subjects they care about from people they wish really cared?  Yet another reason to revise the curriculum for “real life writing.”