Recently I came across a YouTube video where the presenter said some people totally lack empathy. That shocked and surprised me - like How was that ever possible?
That set me thinking "What exactly is EMPATHY? "
Empathy is to feel what the other person is feeling
- like is a child is physically hurt and is in pain, I feel that pain , I suffer, I cry
- like if two people are in a conversation / fight / bitter exchange of words and if one says something that hurts the other person - and if the person who said these words in the first place has empathy, then he/she senses the pain he/she caused to the other person and feels the pain - This results in spontaneous apology and the empathetic person will never repeat such episodes.
- like when we hear horror stories of rape, war, violence , murder we feel the pain of the people involved and their loved ones
- moved to tears by other's misery and pain
These are examples of empathy causing us the same pain and hurt virtually .
Can empathy also cause joy and happiness?
It is empathy that makes me happy when people with whom I relate are happy, laugh when they laugh , feel love and loved when some one expresses that their love for me.
Now on the opposite side of this spectrum is a non-empathetic person.
- They hurt the hurt
- inflict misery and pain on the weak and vulnerable especially on children,
- cause misery in others as a habit and do not feel the pain at all - will never apologize and will repeat such incidents knowing very well the pain they infliced.
It is like this person has a shield around the brain that protects them from feeling empathetic. Such are rapists of kids, murderers and generally unhappy negative narcissistic people.
Truly Empathy is a gift of being a fine human. Empathetic people are joyous and spread happiness around.
Non-empathetic people add to the misery of the world. The true human nature is to feel empathy. By some twist of fate and life's circumstances the non-empathetic person transformed himself/herself and became this unnatural unhappy personality. Can this be reversed? Yes if the person wills it and works on himself/herself. It is just a matter of returning back to your true self .
Empathy is common collective consciousness - we feel for each other. This is what sets us apart and at the top of the living world .
My Oh-so-empathetic parents. Thank you Dad for showing me the path
