Empathy vs. Empathy

[Jolixte]

Empathy according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1999 edition):

"The ability to imagine oneself in anther's place and understand the other's feelings, desires, ideas, and actions."


Now this is not what I've heard empathy explained to me as, here. Generally, people here say that empathy is when you actually experience what another person is experiencing.

So, are people here talking about a different ability then your average joe on the street is talking about?

[Lunacie]

That's one definition. If you look in a dictionary you'll find that nearly every word in there has more than one definition, depending on the situation it's used to describe. There is a good description of what we here in the Bunker mean when we talk about Empathy on this website: (the link is in my siggie)

http://www.geocities.com/christabelle67/TheEmpathReport101PtI.html

[Jolixte]

So, you see it more of as being more in line with telepathy than just something where one is able to understand how another is feeling. They are the same thing, but you see the reasons behind it as being different? I'm still not sure I have it straight.

When I say I'm being empathetic; I'm definitely not actually feeling what someone else is truly feeling.

[Lunacie]

Yeah, that's the way the fellow I took a metaphysical class from a couple of years ago explained it. He's a telepath, I'm an empath. He picks up thoughts, I pick up feelings. Sometimes there's a little bleed-over and you get both, especially if someone is broadcasting really strongly.

But, haven't you ever walked into a room full of people and had the hair stand up on the back of your neck, like you just walked into an argument? That's empathy. Sometimes I can drive by a house and if I'm really open psychically I can tell someone is fighting inside, if I'm not so open at the moment I may find myself flipping someone off a few blocks away for practically nothing because I picked up the anger. And ya know I had been singing along with the radio before and enjoying the drive.

[Rae ShadowWolf]

The way I view Empathy is the ability to sense Emotions. It doesn't necessarily mean you 'understand' them, but you 'feel' them. As Lunacie stated, it is like that hair that goes up when you sense something amiss.

Ever walk into a mall or store, and felt an odd sensation when you look at someone and can sense what they are feeling, even when their face doesn't show it? You can just sense happiness or sadness or anger.

For me, I pick up easier on anger and sadness, and it sends my senses into chaos, as I hate those emotions. I pick up on it and can 'empathize' with that person.

To say you 'understand' I think is a bit much, as we don't necessarily KNOW why they feel that they do, we just know they feel that way.

[Jolixte]

But, haven't you ever walked into a room full of people and had the hair stand up on the back of your neck, like you just walked into an argument? That's empathy.
Not really. Generally, I will walk into a room like that, notice the body language, then feel that way.

I guess I'm not too up on the psychic abilities.


The way I view Empathy is the ability to sense Emotions. It doesn't necessarily mean you 'understand' them, but you 'feel' them. As Lunacie stated, it is like that hair that goes up when you sense something amiss.

I never feel anything from anyone that I don't understand, that I know of anyways.



Ever walk into a mall or store, and felt an odd sensation when you look at someone and can sense what they are feeling, even when their face doesn't show it? You can just sense happiness or sadness or anger. I read microexpressions. People can't control those well enough for me not to read them.

*shrug* I'm not an empath, I guess. I read people fine, though.

[mtpathy]

Empathy according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1999 edition):

"The ability to imagine oneself in anther's place and understand the other's feelings, desires, ideas, and actions."


Now this is not what I've heard empathy explained to me as, here. Generally, people here say that empathy is when you actually experience what another person is experiencing.

So, are people here talking about a different ability then your average joe on the street is talking about?

yes and no,the basic idea of a empath is that your unconciously or later on
concious of being able to see anothers emotions through body language and
facial gesturing,eyes dialating or being able to see peoples signs of stress
by observation.
although at the beginning this is how it starts,later on down the road when
one becomes practiced and more experienced with using empathy,it
becomes a way of associating your own emotions with the emotions you
observe from others. and being able to place yourself within there situation
to gain a understanding of there state of mind,there likely actions and
reactions within a perticular situation."some call this being a psychic".
IMO this is the stage where many tend to learn to "shield" through various
methods in order to "control" there feeling of others emotions.
later on when these techniques are practiced, a time comes when each
gesture or body movment becomes a exaggerated emotion that by association
with you'r own,bring about many experiences that the individual "you" may or
may not want to feel or experience.
this is imo one of the funnest stages as you start to associate mental images
brought into congnition by associating them with others emotions in order to
work through your own obstacles that stand in your way.
this is when a person has learned to build a bridge between emotion and
mental thought.
and is very much akin to telepathy.
salutations

[mtpathy]

everytime i see this topic,it reminds me of the great
comic spy vs spy :)

[Kalika]

Empathy according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1999 edition):

"The ability to imagine oneself in anther's place and understand the other's feelings, desires, ideas, and actions."


Now this is not what I've heard empathy explained to me as, here. Generally, people here say that empathy is when you actually experience what another person is experiencing.

So, are people here talking about a different ability then your average joe on the street is talking about?

Empathy is generally categorized as an emotion that all humans feel at one time or another - as described above, the ability to put yourself "in another's shoes" so to speak.

Being and empath is categorized by most as an ability to read, feel, and understand what a person is going through at that time, such as taking the pain of another onto yourself, the happiness, the anger, the fear... etc. An empath feels those emotions as though they were their own.

Feeling empathy does not necessarily make one an empath.

(Does that make sense? Oy.)