how much do you have ? do you feel if its good for your life or not.

Depends entirely on the person, and situation.

I have more than enough empathy, feel it when I go past people, have to switch it off sometimes

I'm in a long-term empathy deficit after years of a caretaking situation.

 

Gotta let that empathy well re-fill. At its own pace.

 

Will def be highly selective about engaging in empathy-inducing situations.

Empath, and we are the ones who pay the price when we encounter narcissists, who prey on empaths. We are the beta males (females) who take care of our children, wives and girlfriends when they were hurt by the narcissists. We cry when we and others we love are hurt because we have emotions. We are gentle, nurturing and feel for others, can put ourselves in other's shoes and try and feel what they feel, so we can help. We don't intentionally use or hurt others because we know how that feels. Some of us try to be leaders so we can help others but get caught up in the lies and corruption and become what we despise sometimes. We feel more stress than the narcissists because we actually care, and with that care comes worry, and stress. We cannot choose to be empaths. It is what we were raised to be. Some of us were abused as children and didn't become like the abuser but turned away and became the opposite. The world would be much better if we outnumbered the narcissists 10 to 1.

If it's someone and something I can relate to... Yes..

Otherwise.. I don't care.

I define empathy as a heightened compassion toward others.... Using that as a baseline, yes, it can happen several times in a day - or not, depending on situations & observations....

One of the major changes I would introduce into any education system is the "teaching" of empathy......of course religious schools couldn't countenance such a thing......imagine Jews being taught to have empathy for Palestinians or vice versa .

Yup

Depends if I'm stoned.

I have it, too much sometimes.

 Wouldn't do without it though, usually goes hand in hand with intuition which we all need to hear...

A racist troll post contravening our Community Standards has been removed

6 hours ago, pgrahmm said:

I define empathy as a heightened compassion toward others

Very good idea to define it - - I think most people confuse it with sympathy... mostly I see it defined as 'feeling' someone else's pain... I think that is rare. 

 

• Empathy means that when you see another person suffering, such as after they've lost a loved one, you are able to instantly envision yourself going through that same experience and feel what they are going through.

It happens for me, but not with everyone - and sometimes with total strangers... I mean actually feeling their pain. There were times with close people where I experienced their symptoms. It can be extremely painful. 

On 10/29/2023 at 10:59 AM, scubascuba3 said:

I have more than enough empathy, feel it when I go past people, have to switch it off sometimes

If there were any truth to that you would never cruelly debase people who are overweight... people who can genuinely feel others pain, don't create pain by belittling others. 

 

Just saying... hope you get better soon. 

On 10/29/2023 at 10:49 AM, stoner said:

how much do you have ? do you feel if its good for your life or not

How does one quantifies empathy? 

It is an emotional responses that has an evolutionary component ,  a crying baby illisits an empathetic response that has survival value. 

How much empathy someone has depends on the situation and varies. 

16 minutes ago, sirineou said:

How does one quantifies empathy? 

It is an emotional responses that has an evolutionary component ,  a crying baby illisits an empathetic response that has survival value. 

How much empathy someone has depends on the situation and varies. 

You either have it or you don't. It's not really a measurable entity. It's taught in early childhood or it isn't. You can learn it anytime in life,as long as you aren't tainted by being a narcissist, as they have no empathy.

27 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

If there were any truth to that you would never cruelly debase people who are overweight... people who can genuinely feel others pain, don't create pain by belittling others. 

 

Just saying... hope you get better soon. 

Difficult to feel sorry for overweight people who typically bring it on themselves, gluttony, no self control, just looking to blame others whilst stuffing down more unhealthy food

4 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Difficult to feel sorry for overweight people who typically bring it on themselves, gluttony, no self control, just looking to blame others whilst stuffing down more unhealthy food

Yea but not always , often the condition for a variety of reasons is beyond  the persons control and they suffer because of it. You can be empathetic with their suffering, if not the reason of their suffering. 

10 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Difficult to feel sorry for overweight people who typically bring it on themselves, gluttony, no self control, just looking to blame others whilst stuffing down more unhealthy food

That's why you don't say you have empathy for others yet ridicule those that are fat. And I don't think people who are overweight blame anyone for it. They know exactly why they gained extra weight Many eat a lot because they are suffering from abuse or depression, and it helps take their minds off of what's bothering or hurting them.. ..........https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-is-2020/201105/the-psychology-why-people-dislike-or-hate-fat-people

15 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Yea but not always , often the condition for a variety of reasons is beyond  the persons control and they suffer because of it. You can be empathetic with their suffering, if not the reason of their suffering. 

Can be a healthy weight if do the right things, only a very small percentage have medical conditions causing it but it's a common excuse

1 hour ago, 1FinickyOne said:

Very good idea to define it - - I think most people confuse it with sympathy... mostly I see it defined as 'feeling' someone else's pain... I think that is rare. 

 

• Empathy means that when you see another person suffering, such as after they've lost a loved one, you are able to instantly envision yourself going through that same experience and feel what they are going through.

It happens for me, but not with everyone - and sometimes with total strangers... I mean actually feeling their pain. There were times with close people where I experienced their symptoms. It can be extremely painful. 

 

Empathy is not imagining how you would feel on the receiving end of what you perceive to be another persons "misfortune".......that is a popular, self involved, misconception.

 

Empathy is being in their head.......with their history, their conditioned emotions, their conditioned thoughts and reactions.

 

People with a co-dependency problem frequently mistake themselves for "empaths".

 

 

33 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Can be a healthy weight if do the right things, only a very small percentage have medical conditions causing it but it's a common excuse

I happen to disagree,but  Regardless, many overweight people suffer from it either socially or medically, and you can be empathetic of that. 

By the way. my niece was a beautifully young lady, the genes kicked in and became obese though she ate the normal amount. She had a gastric bypass and  and has lost some weight but the condition has a great impact on her social interactions. As we sat around the table at a family reunion this summer it made me very sad to see everyone stuffing their faces and enjoying the food, and the poor girl was eating like a bird and still being overweight.  But even those who are overweight have often a problem beyond their control , because no one chooses to be fat. Many simply can not Satiety with the normal amount of food. 

11 minutes ago, sirineou said:

I happen to disagree,but  Regardless, many overweight people suffer from it either socially or medically, and you can be empathetic of that. 

By the way. my niece was a beautifully young lady, the genes kicked in and became obese though she ate the normal amount. She had a gastric bypass and  and has lost some weight but the condition has a great impact on her social interactions. As we sat around the table at a family reunion this summer it made me very sad to see everyone stuffing their faces and enjoying the food, and the poor girl was eating like a bird and still being overweight.  But even those who are overweight have often a problem beyond their control , because no one chooses to be fat. Many simply can not Satiety with the normal amount of food. 

People secret eat, I've known many, seem to barely eat but binge in private

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

People secret eat, I've known many, seem to barely eat but binge in private

still you could feel bad for them. I am sure they dont "secret eat" because they want to be overweight and have no social life.

Which is the subject of this Thread, and not why people overeat. 

In my experience, empathy is something Thais have in abundance.

8 minutes ago, timendres said:

In my experience, empathy is something Thais have in abundance.

In the Theravada tradition, there is a kind of empathy called Sympathetic Joy; the enjoyment of enjoying people enjoying things.

 

It's very strong here. When you're digging into that mango and sticky rice, they're really with you on it.

 

In Thailand, you experience a lot of empathy that is very light-feeling, instead of just the heavy burden of sympathy-type empathy.

As I get old my empathy for people has practically finished 

 

Too many times bitten , now I just don't care 

1 hour ago, sirineou said:

still you could feel bad for them. I am sure they dont "secret eat" because they want to be overweight and have no social life.

Which is the subject of this Thread, and not why people overeat. 

Clearly your niece was eating too much hence the doctors involved decided a gastric band was required although you think she eat the normal amount

9 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Clearly your niece was eating too much hence the doctors involved decided a gastric band was required although you think she eat the normal amount

Clearly

 

I feel empathy at times when someone here on TVF annoys me, that's when I block them, no names mentioned, and that empathy makes me feel real good 🙂

 

 

How do you spell that?