emotion is for pussies and empathy is pusy by proxxy
I've put a very large emphasis on the well being of others in th past, to the point of it becoming an addiction(stalking). It hit its all time high when my perfectionist portion of my life was at its strongest. It wasn't enough that they were safe/provided for, eventually their personal happiness was seen as correlative to how well I was watching out for them. I used to deem my self responsible for their mistakes.
The aftermath of stalking and breaking out of that mindset has just scared me a bit from relationships in general. I'm far too susceptible to falling head over heels for someone. I let myself dip into relationship-like ties here and I took them entirely too seriously.
The concept of empathy has to do with suffering. Why?
If I laugh because I feel like it because someone else is laughing, that is not seen as affective empathy.
If I understand how the guy next door feels owning a brand new car, that is not cognitive empathy.
If I give someone a gift to be kind, and not because they need the gift, that is not empathy by doing.
Fuck that.
What is called cognitive empathy... which is really not empathy but just understanding (can be used for good and bad)... is fair in my case. I attribute that to two things. I have been excellent at explaining and making the right questions to get the right answers. I am a good pattern thinker so I can make a puzzle out of their minds, also I can see parallels from similar things in my own life.
I think without that I would be lost. I'm not good at the magic people use to read minds.
Also with more life experience I have a bigger understanding for more and more people.
Those aspies with poor cognitive empathy have not found an alternative route to other people's minds. Also if they are S rather than N on the Myers-Briggs, they will see every little thing as separate, not connected.
Out of genuine curiosity...
Is "emoticon" empathy a thing or possibility? How about other forms of text-based empathy: such as, reading? Of course, one can intuitively think of music or visuals as having a greater impact on empathy response, but as for the more abstract... How abstract can empathy become? Is an abstraction of empathy the defeat of it's individual and personal nature? It has to hit home at some level for empathic response, I think, so can we distinguish any valid line(s) of demarcation?
Buttered Toast stated: source post
Out of genuine curiosity...
Is "emoticon" empathy a thing or possibility? How about other forms of text-based empathy: such as, reading? Of course, one can intuitively think of music or visuals as having a greater impact on empathy response, but as for the more abstract... How abstract can empathy become? Is an abstraction of empathy the defeat of it's individual and personal nature? It has to hit home at some level for empathic response, I think, so can we distinguish any valid line(s) of demarcation?
It's kinda interesting, when people empathize with things like characters in books and movies, cartoons, drawings, smileys... Goes to show it only has to do with the person empathizing, not the receiver. Scary how isolated in our heads we truly are, in a way.