What is it called when you can't feel empathy towards other people?
Lack of empathy is one of the most striking features of people with narcissistic personality disorder. It's a hallmark of the disorder in the same way that fear of abandonment is inborderline personality disorder."Narcissists do not consider the pain they inflict on others; nor do they give any credence to others' perceptions," says Dr. Les Carter in the book Enough of You, Let's Talk About Me (p. 9). "They simply do not care about thoughts and feelings that conflict with their own." Do not expect them to listen, validate, understand, or support you.This is exacerbated when the person has a touch of antisocial personality disorder. Then it becomes frightening, as in this all-too-common example. A woman says:He would abuse the dog in front of his 11-year-old daughter by repeatedly pushing the shocking collar and making the dogs wail. The daughter would scream and wave her hands and if I hadn't been there to take the control away from my husband I don't know how long he would have kept doing it.Let's look at what this means on a more moderate basis. Here are examples from partners of narcissists:He would actually get mad at me if I was sick. I said, "I sat here with you for days when you were depressed and couldn't get out of bed. And now you can't even be a little nice to me when I am sick?" My partner would hurt my feelings just when things were going well. When I would question him about it, he would make up excuses and tell me I'm wrong for feeling the way I did, and if I didn't like it there was something wrong with me. I could spend an hour detailing how I felt hurt and she would sit there, cold as ice. When it was her turn to speak, she tore down every word that came out of my mouth until I had to apologize for expressing how I felt. I ignored this red flag and made excuses to myself and others. Source:(Psychology Today)Live for others, care for them, love them. put their needs in front of yours, hurt when they hurt, feel pain when they do.This makes our world gentile.
I'm unable to sympathize with others.?
When people speak to me about their problems, regardless of how serious they are, I don't find myself feeling one way or another. I don't feel bad. I don't pity them. I just feel...numb, I guess. I wouldn't say that I don't care, but at the same time I won't say that I do. I'm interested in what the person is saying...or maybe I should say that I'm interested in the act of speaking, as I like to listen (I know it seems rather odd). I react as I should to what they tell me, but it's insincere. I'm sort of disturbed that I don't feel anything. Am I missing something?
Are people without empathy capable of love?
No. Empathy is crucial in the existence of love itself. Without empathy, love becomes impossible.Love is a butterfly effect containing several components, Empathy is the second component to Love itself.Love works in equality. How much you love yourself, is equal to how much you love others, and it’s equal to how much others will love you.Love is: Trust+empathy=understanding+knowledge=accepting+embracing all life=LoveAll of the above must be present, in order for Love to exist and to sustain your own happiness daily. Anything else…is not love.Fear is: distrust, anxiety, judgment, ignorance, anger, hatred = fear.You choose which. You are always doing one or the other.Loving yourself, is what determines the love you will experience in your life. Love is a choice.You can either love, or fear. Never both at the same time, never nothing, and always one or other.Love is trusting what you see and hear, and trusting yourself.Empathy teaches skills of observation and listening. Understanding others and understanding yourself completely.Understanding leads to knowledge, which leads to acceptance of yourself and others, as is.It results in embracing yourself, and others equally…That is what love is.When you love yourself, you become authentically confident. That confidence is unbreakable and it won’t matter who says what, who does what…you will remain confident about yourself without needing anything from anyone.Authentic confidence, is when you provide…for others.Everything you do, is for others. And what you receive in return, is for yourself. This is how to sustain your own happiness. You accomplish that, by providing for other people. You get the results, of living a happy life and sustaining that happiness, no matter what happens.When you authentically love yourself, you will experience true love.
Differences between Sympathy and Love?
I believe the foundations of love are admiration and respect. This is why it is true you have to love yourself before you can love others. The love (admiration/respect) you feel for someone is really the value you place on your own attributes and attributes you desire that you see reflected in someone else. For instance, perhaps honesty and playfulness are important attributes to you. You see these in someone and you admire them for it; they are either a part of you that you already love or a part that you wish to nurture. On the other hand, sympathy is feeling in parallel with someone, generally in a negative way (though it could be positive, that is not usually how we use the term/thought). You can sympathize with someone whom you don't know because you shared an experience or can imagine the experience. Such as a hungry child in a 3rd world country; you know what it is like to be hungry, although you don't know the individual, you can feel sympathy for their situation. Since you obviously know the person in question, there is most likely a mixture of the two happening. There are both sorts of feelings involved. But the thing about love is that it comes in various forms and levels, and just because you love someone does not mean you are going to have a fulfilling relationship with them. There is actually a belief held somewhere (India?) that people who truly love each other should not be involved with each other, since being in love makes you CRAZY.
Why do I lack sympathy and empathy for people, but pretend that I care? But I only "care" so I don't look like a heartless person. Like, I don't care how they feel, but I care how I look.
Empathy is when you understand what someone is going through because you have been in the same or similar situationSympathy is just simply understanding someone and being able to comprehend their suffering. A lack of Empathy for someone is totally understandable. All it means is that you simply haven't gone through what they went through because you haven't had that experience. It's totally fine to act like you care. Keep doing what you're doing.However, lacking sympathy is more unusual. I'm 15 years old. Sometimes as a teenager, I'm in a horrible mindset, and feelings of sympathy, along with other positive traits disappear from my personality temporarily. It happens to everyone. If this is your true personality no matter what your mindset is, then what you would like to know is in these next few paragraphs.First of all, this may have to do with your personality. No, this doesn't mean you have any medical condition. To simplify it, it's hard-wired into you. It's simply who you are. Another factor is how you were raised. I'm not necessarily saying whoever raised you didn't love you enough. They just raised you in a way that made you ignorant to other people's suffering.I'm no expert at this. It's totally ok if you don't believe what I'm saying. I'm not a doctor. I'm still in high school. If you have anything else to add on to that question, I would be glad to help! Have a nice day.
Is it okay if I feel more empathy towards animals than towards humans?
They say that u can judge a man by his treatment of animals.It is completely normal (and in fact expected) to feel a greater empathy for animals than for humans. Cause let's be honest....humans can be jerksOur human emotions such as jealousy, fear, insecurities and selfishness often come in the way of our love towards each other.While animals are free of any such bondages.All that an animal or ur pet knows is love. Their life revolves around you and you are the center of their universe.So here are some reasons why i love my pet dog more than i love people1.He welcomes me home like jaya bachhan welcomed Shah Rukh Khan home in kabhi khushi kabhi gham.2.he follows me around to protect me like a cute little bodyguard3.he isn't insecure when i like other people too.... We aren't exclusive yet4.Him and me are a gang. I'm his very own gang leader5.He is better than any boyfriend... If he was a person, i would date him6.He is a safe harbor for all my secrets. I don't have to worry about him bitching.7.I am the absolute center of his universe.. That never hurt anyone...So yeah...Animals are everything that we humans are not. They are a symbolism of the purest form of love. Their world isn't black or white or grey. It's pink!
I can't feel empathy or sympathy?
All my emotions as of late are all over the place. I laugh when I am in an 'awkward' situation, but it's usually only when I am being talked about. (For example, when I went to the doctors, to talk about my moods and emotions etc, I laughed hysterically for no reason whilst my mum was talking to the doctor about me).. I don't feel anything for anyone, love, pain, anger, hatred etc. An example; my friend told me her granddad died a couple days ago and the only thing I said was 'sorry to hear that'. But the emotions on my face didn't match what I was saying, and the only thing I know to say is that because it's what I have seen in movies. I just say what people want to hear. There are times when someone has told me a relative has died and I laughed! I couldn't help it, I felt so bad and had to explain to them that I don't usually feel.. anything. I don't outwardly feel emtions when something bad has happened to someone else. If something bad happens to myself I feel all the emotions nessecary - like if my mother died, I am positive I'd feel ****. It's hard to explain. I just feel empty and like I am a horrible person laughing at death. x3 It's not just laughing at things though. I sometimes will zone out for days, not feeling anything and being completely indifferent to what goes on around me - as in, I just wont feel anything. :S What is wrong with me, I'm such a horrible person.. -- This all started after I got back from living with my dad (I was there for 2 months) and he was abusive, not to me but to my step-mum and sisters, and he was an alcoholic. I have mini 'flash backs' like I'll walk through my bathroom door (long story) and be reminded of what happened and silly things like that. I asked a question on it on a different account and some suggested it was PTSD (I have other symptoms, but I don't think it is).So is this maybe related? Thanks anyways!
Why do some people cry more easily than others?
Crying in the sense you refer to it is an indication of an advanced level of empathy. You have lived many lives and suffered much to acquire this faculty... do not disparage this virtue. Rather work on embracing the emotional energy of the grief rather than displaying it in tearing. A tearing or wetness of your eyes while digesting the pain, suffering, and Knowledge of what these are "within" yourself is Grace for you. It is a way in which advanced Souls are weened from the world. We grow by our pain, and are elevated Spiritually by the pain we acknowledge within ourselves. But nothing is gained by displaying this publicly... except when the situation calls for such display, or such display works to ones advantage. The main point is that the awareness from within your Apapsyche [Operational Energy of your Soul] is of Empathy, and this is a virtue or an element of Absolute Reality that you have earned. Be pleased you have this capacity. Chances are that it will greatly benefit your life. Peace
Can one feel love for someone without feeling empathy for them?
Yes. Sympathy is nessecary but empathy is not. I know because I am incapable of empathy and am one of the most loving people I know.Empathy is feeling the same emotion as someone else. Sympathy is acknowledging their feelings and feeling good or bad FOR them. See the difference?So do you new to feel angry and sad an heartbroken if your friends date mate breaks up with them to be a good friend? While it makes it easier no. It takes a "I know what you're feeling and it sucks I'm sorry you wanna talk about it and get a hot coco?" Or if someone gets the job you wanted you aren't going to have the same happiness as them obviously. But you can feel a different kind of happiness FOR them, and a sense of pride. Sympathy not empathy.