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I have overreactive empathy | by dennismv | 2009-10-26 21:07:23 |
| I have a lot of the same reactions as you. When I |
by twixt |
2009-10-26 22:22:02 |
was younger, I spent a lot of energy on "what if" and "what can I do to resolve the hurt I sense".
What I learned is that some people are psychically deaf as a post. Others simply enjoy having drama in their lives - and feed on the feelings of anger, fear and sadness they create. A third group has varying degrees of empathic ability - that many find frightening or annoying - so they either minimize or ignore their ability.
In my experience, the more empathic a person is, the more compassionate and nurturing the person if they have a healthy psyche and good self-esteem. Consequently, I actively use my empathic talent to search for other people worth knowing - who have this same empathic talent.
Furthermore, I've also found that I can use this tool to discern when I'm dealing with someone who is trying to manipulate the world to create wins for themself at the expense of others. Then I get to decide whether I will ignore the situation (fixing the unfixable and helping the unhelpable) or jump in and try to help.
Avoiding emotional exhaustion is the most important skill that an empath needs to learn. You are not resonsible for the feelings of others, and it is impossible for an individual to accomodate the emotional needs of the many (which often conflict) at the expense of the individual (you).
See the "I, Robot" story "Liar!" by Isaac Asimov, for an interesting example of what happens when an individual with excellent psychic skills tries to make everyone around them happy - with no appreciation of the danger of dealing with cranky and/or contrary human egos.
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