"Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." -Romans 12:15
"but I've yet to meet someone who empathizes unconditionally."
I've met a few who had it be overbearingly the case. It can get really annoying to deal with, especially when Appeal to Emotion is the persuasive tactic being used by others to get to them. It's like they're emotionally retarded in, at times, a highly chaotic sense.
Some of the more aware types with this problem will try to avoid people who make them feel certain ways strictly because of the emotions themselves. Some just... have no resistance or tolerance to it.
Hey, first of all great topic. It's nice to see topics with content that is relevant to this forum.
Personally, I think empathy has its cons and pros depending on your views and interests. I'm not really so much interested in any gains empathy might offer. I don't want to think of it as some struggle for superiority. From a self-interest point of view, lack of empathy can be useful in the sense that you don't feel obligated to act in any way and it's easier for you to use people.
You can probably also think more rationally and make logical judgement calls when you don't need to bother yourself with feeling bad about your actions. On the other hand, if everyone was out for their own self-interests I guess we wouldn't be here. Or who knows, maybe we would be.
Anyway, like I said before, I don't stress myself with the cons and pros. The thing about empathy is really that you're able to connect to other people. I think that's the krux of it, at least. You're capable of feeling what the other person is feeling, at least on some level. And when you're are hurt you can take pleasure in knowing that you're not alone, because you have someone sharing those feelings with you. That's why people generally don't like insensitive people.
In short, lack of empathy might be a good thing from a selfish point of view, but that's not all there is.
You probably understand that this is just my opinion.
Thanks! Yes of course empathy is probably useful (or beneficent) not only for humanity as a whole, but also for the individual. Otherwise most people would not have it if (like it seems) the disposition for empathy is genetic.
For my own part, I just don't know if i can share other people's feelings. Perhaps I can but I don't feel so many feelings myself. I'm not really the emotional kind of person. But I have no problem connecting to people. I like (and get along with) most people I meet.
I do feel for other people but... I don't really care very much what happens to people when I don't interact with them. I've read that this is (or could be) a narcissistic trait. Most people seem to be very interested in what other people have done, what they are doing right now and so on. I just don't care... So social networking and stuff like that isn't really my kind of thing. I do however like to gossip a bit and discuss people (and their actions) with others.