Do you feel empathy?

Post Reply New Topic

Here is a dictionary term of empathy:

Understanding and entering into another's feelings

Do you feel this (regardless of whether or not you can show it)?

I can sometimes, though I have a hard time showing it.

My mom and I were actually talking about this earlier. I used to have a friend named Michelle who never showed any empathy whatsoever. However, my friend, Chastin, shows a ton of it and my friend, Sarah, is right inbetween the two but probably leans more toward Chastin. I show a moderate amount as well, probably about the same as Sarah.

I've said this for a while. ESPECIALLY earlier I just didn't show it. I am kind of detached. Anyway, for a while, I showed it more but too many took advantage. NOW, I try to strike a balance.

Steve

I am good at showing empathy.

Tim

I only show empathy when I need to.... if it's a little kid crying because he didn't get the PS3 for Christmas, I have neither empathy nor sympathy.
If it's someone who just suffered a breakup, a divorce, or a death among friends/family, or if it's someone I care about suffering stress or going through difficult times, then I have all the empathy in the world.

Feel strong empathy but have a hard time showing it. I would say I have become less
empathetic as I get older. I use to have extreme emotions eating at me worrying about how negative things were effecting others. I still understand just as well but I do not let it upset me as much.

Oh I see in a below post how Star mentions she is an INFJ. I'm INFP myself. So it stands to reason **F* will feel more empathetic than **T* types.

I think I do when I can visualize myself being in similiar situations.It seems to be more when someone or something is experiencing physical pain,depression,anxiety,poverty,lonely.....I have a harder time when the issue is about someone in a break-up,when the person suffering is better off without the person.Or if someone suffers a "disappointment",like not getting a specific job because that is just ...life.As long as they have income to eat and for basics.....more then most the world has.More often I feel sorry that they are unhappy about something but dont know what to say,because I cant solve the problem.

I think I do when I can visualize myself being in similiar situations.It seems to be more when someone or something is experiencing physical pain,depression,anxiety,poverty,lonely.....I have a harder time when the issue is about someone in a break-up,when the person suffering is better off without the person.Or if someone suffers a "disappointment",like not getting a specific job because that is just ...life.As long as they have income to eat and for basics.....more then most the world has.More often I feel sorry that they are unhappy about something but dont know what to say,because I cant solve the problem.

Yes, I do feel empathy and show it, probably being an INFJ (protector) causes that. I tend to 'mother' people, maybe too much. I do that with animals too. I can't stand to see anyone being bullied. I have to stop myself getting over-involved sometimes as people can take advantage. I can usually suss out when someone's feeling genuinely upset or just putting it on to get attention.

When I have time to think properly, then I'm very good at it.

If I'm anxious, though, I'll be on the defensive and oblivious to anyone else's feelings. Then later, when I reflect on what I've done, I begin to empathise and then feel very guilty.

I experience most empathy when dealing with non-human animals... I wish I could be a voice for them. Because I am this way, I understand Temple and I too see the details regarding animal's feelings, treatment, and behavior like she does. Whenever I see an animal hurt in a movie I get sad even though I know they are not really hurt. However, I really don't care about how people are treated, abused, tortured, or killed in the movies. Of course I feel empathy if these were real life situations for humans, but can't stand the fact of even pretending to hurt animals (non-human). NON-HUMAN ANIMALS ARE THE ONLY ENTITIES THAT I CAN USUALLY GIVE ABSOLUTE EYE CONTACT WITHOUT FEELING LIKE A THREAT TO THEM. BECAUSE EYE CONTACT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM IS MOST COMMONLY A THREAT OR CHALLENGE (THE "I'M GOING TO EAT YOU LOOK").

Actually, Meg, animals look for eye contact to reassure themselves that you are not a threat, to entreat you to come closer and to pet them, to invite play, and to express friendship, among other things.

I get confused about the difference between empathy and sympathy. Empathy is the "understanding and entering into another's feelings." I feel sorry for, or feel sympathy for, other people when they are hurt, but i don't enter into their feelings, i don't see how anyone can take on the feelings of someone else bc i am not that person so i can't feel what they are feeling. They are in the situation, i am not. I can feel empathy if i think about it i guess. I read "To Kill a Mockingbird" in hs, and at some point in the book the dad tells his girl that empathy is stepping into the other person's shoes and wearing them around for awhile, so if i think about it that way, i can understand and feel empathy. I dk if it always comes naturally though, and i often get the emotion wrong if i go on my gut instinct about what they are feeling, unless it is a situation i myself have been in before so i assume that they are feeling what i felt at the time.

All the time dude! I think I'm more empathic than most NTs, If you can believe that!

I didn't think it'd ever happen, but I had empathy for Michael from The Office last week's episode.