Empathy - the capability to share another being's emotions and feelings.
Okay, I'm not completely void of it but I've noticed throughout my life that I don't quite have the same...level of empathy that others have. There are times when I completely miss the emotional aspect of a conversation or situation or misread its intent or purpose. I often think things through logically or base my reactions and emotions off of what I assume is the correct response. In empathetic situations, rarely are my emotions genuine, if ever. Usually I feel nothing. My reactions are usually the mimicry of a combination of similar events that I've witnessed on TV.
A lack of empathy is also a trait of psychopaths. yikes.
**EDIT** 10/03/2010 - 10:30AM
This is one of the reasons I try to avoid funerals or anything related to death. My actions and emotions aren't natural. I don't really feel...anything. I know what I'm supposed to feel. I make the sad face, I force myself to think of something that I'm emotionally saddened by, enough to cause tears...and that is what I display. Again, I'm not trying to say I don't have emotions. I'm saying that I have a lack of empathy. I'm not sure what the cause of this is...maybe I've been desensitized due to media. Maybe I try to emotionally distance myself from feeling anything...because I don't WANT to feel anything.
Sociopathy is also a common trait in many succesful businessmen and executives.
ReplyDeleteThank you Anonymous! Unfortunately, such a trait has less value as I am an anti-social web developer. I'm at the bottom of any totem poles and I doubt I'd ever climb up to a position where this lack of empathy could be of any use :(
ReplyDeleteYou may not share the emotion but I've seen you able to understand what the other is going through. You remind me of myself when I was young. My 6th grade teacher called me a robot because I 'didn't show emotion'. But now I've managed to get in touch with my emotions probably cause being an actor requires so.
ReplyDeleteBeing a 'robot' isn't necessarily a bad thing. It just shields you from emotional pain but it does make you seem less 'human' in the eyes of others. But if you don't care what others think, then this whole thing shouldn't be an issue at all.
It's not that I don't understand what others are going through, I'm actually quite good at that. I can fake empathy and understand what someone else is supposed to feel. I just rarely feel anything myself. I'm emotionally indifferent about it all.
ReplyDeleteIt's not that I care what others think, I feel that you have to make the necessary emotional responses to be viewed and treated normally. I don't want others to feel that I'm cold, not understanding, etc. for a number of reasons. Even if you're dead inside, you can't act like it...if you want to be socially accepted in this world. And yes, that is important...for career, for friends, for anything that requires any type of relationship (which is almost everything). If I were ever the real me for a long period of time, I'd have lost of job, my friends, my girlfriend, everything. But those are all important to me so I change myself to survive. It's not uncommon, every single person in this world does it.
Human nature is selfish. But you can't survive with that.