Is empathy/sympathy easier in some situations than others?

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Are you able to empathize/sympathize with some people/things better than others? I am easily able to empathize with people when they get a puncture wound or a cut better than when they break a bone or get a bruise. I can empathize with people being scared of irrational things, better than rational things. I can also empathize with some other emotions better than others.

The thing that I can absolutely NOT empathize at all is hair pulling. If I see someone get their hair pulled, I don't feel good about or anything, I just don't react at all. It's kind of strange because I know that it is "supposed to" hurt. I think it's probably because I am hyposensitive to having my hair pulled.

Also, I can empathize better with people I like than people I don't like. I can also empathize better with individual people better than large groups of people. For example, I would be better able to empathize with someone who was murdered than people who were in an earthquake.

Do you know what I mean?

I understand what you are getting at in terms of empathizing with people you like better than people you don't like. If I hear about something that happened to someone I don't like, I don't care, I could care less.
So I understand you and what you are saying.

I only have sympathy for those I can relate with. So that means I only have empathy.