I’m not sure what empathy is or how to feel it. It’s sometimes left friends and partners feeling frustrated with me when I can’t comfort them in the way they need and it causes me to be upset that I don’t understand it. I want to understand what it’s like.
Edit: tagged as chemistry because I guess technically it’s brain chemistry.
Edit: I’m talking about this issue with my therapist later today.
Edit: just got done with therapy. Turns out I do feel empathy, but it just comes off as not caring because I get frustrated that I can’t always figure out how someone needs to be comforted. I might look into getting tested for autism because it happens a lot.
In: 7230
I would be careful with the idea of putting yourself in other people’s shoes.
I agree with the sentiment, but keep in mind that other people aren’t you: something that wouldn’t upset you might upset someone else and you might hate what someone else would enjoy.
And that it bothers you that other people get frustrated when you try to comfort them tells me that you have some empathy. As others have said, there’s a difference between not having empathy and not knowing how to comfort.
But definitely talk to your therapist. Reddit isn’t necessarily the best place to resolve this sort of thing.
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