RE: Depression 10-23-2013, 01:38 PM
#27
(10-23-2013, 05:53 AM)w00t Wrote: Yes, because you have a complete lack of empathy and sympathy, hindering your ability to have positive relationships. There's a reason TV shows tend to profile serial killers/major criminals as sociopaths.
Not entirely true actually, most people would say that I tend to be "too full of emotions" rather than lacking it. Not to mention that most people seem to enjoy to come to me for emotional tips, rather than to ask their other friends, family and so on. As for the complete lack of empathy and sympathy, I wouldn't really say I completely lack it, nor would I say I feel much of it. I have enough knowledge so that I can reply what one should relpy if someone feels down, and in certain cases I will empathize with someone. So far in my life, I've only been on 1 close relationship outside of family and friends, that being my first girlfriend a few weeks back. Many would probably say that my reason for breaking up with her was because of the lack of emotions I had for her, though I would say that its because I felt with her. I honestly didn't want to keep the relationship as it was any longer, knowing that it would end at some point and soon. I would rather break it up at that point and avoid any deeper feelings from getting into play, that way I hope that she got a little less hurt than what she would if I had waited.
Empathize with someone means to know how they feel, and you cannot do that unless you've been in the same spot yourself. Which is why I so rarely do it with people, as I either don't remember how it was or, if it is in this one matter I would empathize with someone as I remember it.
Sympathize means to understand someones feelings and understand how they feel without having to have been there myself. I rarely do this, though I am not cold hearted, and I dislike seeing my friends sad. So I would try my best to comfort them if they need it. However, if a stranger were to come to me, a person I cared little for. I wouldn't think twice about ignoring them, then again, I rarely dislike a person that much.