It has empathy. Empathy in Psychology
Do you perceive other people very closely, as if your own? You may have aroused empathy! Find out how to check it out!
What is empathy and how does it occur?
Empathy (empathy) ¹ - the ability to subtly feel the emotions of the other as their own. People who can do this are called empaths. Empath is one who feels the emotions and feelings of others. Empathy is sometimes accompanied by ability.
Naturally, people acquire this ability in two cases:
1. They are born empaths.
2. This gift awakens on its own during growing up and socialization.
Empathy is a great gift if you know how to use it correctly. Not all empaths are able to control the ability consciously - in most cases this happens unconsciously.
Many people sometimes “catch” the sensations of other people. In most cases, the gift of empathy is not recognized: by the logical mind, such manifestations are explained as ordinary psychology or spontaneous NLP².
Signs of Super Ability
If something like this happened in your life, and you suddenly felt unusual emotions for yourself, it is quite possible that it was a feeling received from another person - empathy is manifested!
Until you learn to manage and control this, you will absorb other people's emotions and experience them as your own.
There are several signs that a person is an empath:
1. Empathists feel the suffering in the world on a large scale and want to somehow help the world.
2. It is difficult for them to look at someone else's pain, because it feels like its own.
3. It’s hard for people with this ability to watch disturbing news: they feel all the suffering and then they can’trecover.
For example, it is enough to watch a news report about a disaster or some kind of disaster anywhere in the world, and such a person can feel pain (psychological, and sometimes physical) from this event.
4. Empaths find it difficult to find themselves and fully realize their own feelings.
For example, during a conversation with another person, people with the gift of empathyfeel his emotions and feelings. Often, they know the answers to their vital questions, but at the same time do not find the answer to theirs.
5. Often empathy can make a person shy, because he knows very well what the other feels and what he wants.
6. If a person does not know how to control his ability, he may lose critical perception. Such people always say “yes” to all requests and requirements, without thinking about whether they need it, whether they really want it.
Empath is so immersed in the experience of another person, knowing what he needs, that he can not say no. And only then he realizes that he did not think about himself and his desires.
7. People with empathy help others at their own expense.
8. Empaths love at a distance just as if a loved one was nearby.
9. They feel a deep intimacy with nature, animals and plants.
Such people are able to feel not only people, but also animals, for example, meeting a dog or a cat on the street.
10. Empath feels responsible for what other people feel, trying to help them feel better.
11. Such people are very sensitive: relationships and friendships may be taken too close to the heart.
12. Because of empathy and inability to manage it, they often become an outlet for other people to dump their emotions on them.
13. While reading a book or watching a movie, an empath is very emotionally experiencing events, is almost completely identified with the characters.
14. Because of the constant load, people with this gift forget what it means to have fun and enjoy life.
15. Empathy, usually deeply spiritual people: the gift of empathyallows you to feel the unity of all being.
If you are close to many of the above signs, it means that you have the ability to empathy!
Answer the following questions:
- Can you control this gift?
- Are you able to share your own and others' experiences?
- Are you able to manage your gift, “including” it only when you need it?
If you answered yes, then you yourself learned to control your gift of empathy; otherwise, you need to learn how to manage empathy: in the notes to this article there is a link to useful material on developing control over empathy.
Notes and feature articles for a deeper understanding of the material.
¹ Empathy - a conscious empathy with another person’s current emotional state without losing the feeling of the external origin of this experience (Wikipedia).
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Empathy is a person’s ability to empathize and understand the feelings and emotions of another.
It allows you to put yourself in the place of another, to perceive all his feelings, while maintaining all the emotional outbursts. A sign of empathy is a deliberate desire to know another. She is attributed more to personal characteristics than to his psychological traits.
Psychologists have been paying attention to this issue for decades. The well-known Z. Freud took part in the development of this topic. He believed that a person with empathic capabilities, not only subjectively understands, but also passes all emotions through its own prism feelings.
Empaths are people who are able to see and feel part of the soul of another. They are divided into 3 types:
- Those who read soul;
- Those who read by the consciousness of the mind;
- Those that simultaneously use both options.
Empathy makes it clear the important emotions of the interlocutor. Such abilities should primarily be endowed with psychologists, educators, managers, doctors.
Such people are not able to cope with a conflict situation, since they are not characterized by rivalry or the defense of their own interests. They let the situation drift.
What is empathic listening?
Empathic communication helps in communication, which is very influenced by different feelings. In most cases, this is characteristic of the weaker sex, so it is sometimes called "female listening." This type of communication helps to get rid of embarrassment, and also to reach through the wall of resentment.
If the person with whom you are communicating is in a bad mood, then apply a conversation model based on the expressions of your emotions and your interlocutor.
Empathic listening acts as a good helper in the process of raising children. Thus, children will be able to calmly express their feelings, and adults will learn to establish contact with them. In relation to children, this is not an easy task. you need to correctly capture their mood and understand what they are trying to convey to us.
In order to achieve good success in empathic listening, it is necessary to develop sensuality for others, turn to feelings and reflect them. Experience and wisdom is the main way to achieve the highest ability of empathic listening.
What are the levels of empathy?
Empathy can hardly be congenital. Often abilities appear when a person accumulates a certain experience throughout his life. Empathy can be manifested in several responses. A person who possesses this gift can not only empathize and feel the emotions of another person, but also sincerely feel sympathy. Empathy is closely related to sympathy. We find support in people who are drawn to us, and distance ourselves from those who do not understand us.
The development of empathic abilities includes several levels:
- Empath is practically incapable of capturing the feelings of others. People with low empathy skills primarily think only of their experiences. They rarely pay attention to people's emotions and feel uncomfortable in an unfamiliar company. People simply don’t know how to understand the emotional manifestations of such people. Empaths of the 1st level prefer solitary work. They have very few close people. Empathy is difficult for interpersonal communication: fear of speaking first, detachment from colleagues, lack of understanding in communication with children and the elderly, etc.
- This level of empathy is most common. Many do not consider it necessary to pay attention to the experiences of others. But with rare exceptions, they can show empathy and provide support. It’s difficult to call them sensitive, but you can’t even call them “crackers”. They do not have much difficulty with important emotional conversation with others, but try to keep emotions in check.
- The degree of development of empathy is high. Empathic people are rare. They are able to understand others better than themselves. They can be friends, listen and understand your experiences, forgive past grievances. Empaths try to be interested in the lives of interlocutors. They are very sociable, quickly find a common language with others. Such people do not like to resolve disputes by conflict and try to resolve everything through compromise. Easily tolerate criticism. People with the 3rd level do not always cope with their emotions, they are easy to unbalance.
How to develop empathy in yourself?
In order to learn to better understand others, it is necessary to develop empathy. Let's look at some recommendations that will allow you to expand your communication capabilities:
- Learn to listen to the interlocutor. This is the most significant skill. The main thing is not just to participate in the conversation, but to fully listen to the experiences of another person.
- Take a closer look at those around you. Do not close. For example, if you are traveling by public transport, you do not need to get your phone, it is better to pay attention to others. Imagine who they are, what they think about, where they live and where they go, whether they are happy.
- Talk to strangers. If you have free time (queue in the store, a joint trip out of town), then pay attention to strangers. Talk about something. The development of the social circle contributes to an increase in empathic skills.
- Put yourself in the shoes of others. The skill will help you better understand your interlocutor and consider a possible problem from a different angle.
- Learn to define your own feelings. It is difficult to help in a situation that you yourself have not experienced. Neither special recommendations nor special exercises will help. Therefore, you should develop your emotional memory, experienced emotions and feelings. They will help you better understand other people and yourself.
Special psychological exercises for the development of empathy.
Exercise "Homeostat"
All participants must sit in a circle. Starting position - the right hand is clenched into a fist and extended forward. At the trainer's command, everyone shows a certain number of fingers. The task of all participants is to simultaneously throw out the same number of fingers. At the same time, it is not allowed to negotiate and in any way coordinate their actions.
Goal: learn understand the condition another person on non-verbal grounds and give feedback.
Exercise "Anabiosis"
Two people themselves distribute the roles of “frozen” and “resuscitator” among themselves. "Frozen" shows a person who has fallen into suspended animation. The “resuscitator” needs to “revive” him in 60 seconds, without talking or touching him. You need to achieve the result using any kind of non-verbal communication - gestures, looks, facial expressions, even pantomime. The victory of the “resuscitator” is the manifestation of any emotions of the partner. In this exercise, the ability to move from alienation to contact is excellently trained, and ways to penetrate into someone else's comfort zone are developed.
Goal: Improving Skills emotional contact.
Strength Exercise
The lesson is held in pairs. One person tells another about the difficult situation that arose at his work. The second partner should listen carefully and give feedback. In response, the partner needs to set out his working problem on the positive side, to describe in detail the advantages in his behavior. Then you can switch roles.
Goal: awareness professional needs, life goals of other people.
Exercise "Mirror"
Two participants are facing each other. One partner makes various movements, slow turns with his hands and body. And the other must exactly repeat all his actions. This training develops good psychological contact skills. In the course of the exercise, copying the actions of the partner becomes easier, sometimes even, it turns out to predict his movements. By flexibly adjusting to each other, participants master the skills of motor imitation.
Goal: learn feel body movements another person, feel the logic of his movements.
Phone Exercise
The main task is to transmit the same feeling in a circle. Everyone should sit close together in a circle and close their eyes. The first participant transfers the chosen feeling to the neighbor, silently, with the help of touches. He perceives, recognizes this feeling and passes it on to the next participant without words. You can not repeat the exact actions of the previous participant, but use other touches. But you need to convey the same feeling.
Goal: learn recognize feelings.
People who have succeeded in developing the gift of empathy through self-improvement are very self-sufficient. They completely control their emotions, know how to forgive and do not blame others or themselves for life’s failures.
Useful materials
To be truly sympathetic, understanding, able to experience the feelings of another person as one's own is an amazing gift. However, this is a big responsibility, as the inability to use it can deliver a lot of inconvenience to its owner.
Empathy is the ability to empathize, respect the feelings of others. In simple words, a person prone to empathy subtly responds to the feelings and emotions of others, while literally "passing" them through himself.
Empath is a hypersensitive person who is always ready to help anyone.
Green relationships are where empathy, talent and endless kindness live.
Margarita Lapina
Empathy - PLUSES
Empathy is important for the professional activities of doctors, teachers, psychologists, managers and other specialists. For effective work, they must to some extent have developed empathy in order to establish emotional contact with the interlocutor.
Empathy is undoubtedly good quality.
People with this ability can easily feel someone else's mood, are responsive, prone to deep sympathy, and are able to resolve conflict situations. It is very difficult to deceive such a person, since on an emotional level he will immediately feel insincerity.
MINUSES OF EMPATHY
However, in addition to the positive aspects, this quality has its drawbacks.
An empathic person who cannot control his abilities is faced daily with certain inconveniences:
- It’s hard for him to say “no,” and people can use it by putting their problems on him. Relationships arise when an empathic person goes against his interests, from which he suffers even more.
- With an excess of both negative and positive emotions, it is very difficult for him to endure emotional overload. He not only takes to heart the misfortune of a friend, but also sharply reacts to events seen on television, or is overly worried about the heroes of the movie, feeling a strong mental pain.
- A strong surge of negative emotions cause any conflict situations.
- Very sensitive to criticism of others. Any careless word can hurt him.
- Often, such a person is subject to frequent mood changes and may lose control of his feelings and emotions.
- A person prone to empathy is more prone to depression and other mental problems. Such a person begins to worry about anything and sees an obstacle in everything; is in constant stress, which leads to emotional emptiness.
- Empathy is not easy to overcome his fear, from which he may have panic attacks.
How can an empathy protect himself from negative emotions?
Several variations of the solution of "self-defense" are possible:
- Invisible defense visualization - imagine yourself in a white cocoon, from which all the negativity fights off.
- Do not be afraid to refuse people. If a long conversation begins to tire, you should try to stop it without hesitation.
- Learn to filter other people's emotions and do not let them through you.
- Try not to communicate with people who are negative and all the time they are trying to "pour" their energy trash on you.
Conclusion
Not always such a rare ability as empathy is a source of joy and happiness. Sometimes this is a heavy burden that negatively affects the life of a person who has this developed quality.
To develop your own style of behavior in accordance with such a special perception of the world that will help maintain mental health is the main task of empathists.
It is very important for a person to become happy, to live surrounded by loving and understanding people. In order to feel the harmony and happiness of life, you need to be able to compassion, understand other people. The amazing feeling that gives this opportunity is called empathy.
Explaining what empathy is, the definition of this gift can be given, armed with knowledge of the Greek language. In Greek, “empathy” means “compassion, empathy.” Simply put, an empathic person subtly perceives the feelings and emotions of others, he knows how to deeply sympathize with people. In this case, the empath does not lose control of his own feelings.
Empathy - the ability to feel others
Empathy is a unique ability, it is not given to every person. For the first time this term was introduced into scientific use by the famous psychotherapist Edward Titchner. Scientists have developed a scale for determining the level of empathy in people, the principles of its classification. His developments are used in modern psychology.
According to psychologists, now a pressing problem of empathy is becoming an urgent problem in modern society. Leading specialist in psychology Douglas Labir even introduced the definition of SDE (empathy deficiency syndrome).
This magical ability has many classifications and types. Empathy can exist in a pure (classical) form, or it can include a variety of additional aspects.
Emotions of strangers as own
Empathy is a person’s ability to subtly perceive other people's troubles. She never found a rational explanation. Empathic perception does not depend on the intellectual level, human education. Most scientists are inclined to believe that empathy is a gene-transmitted ability.
What is empathy This skill is an important addition to the professional activities of many specialists:
- psychoanalysts get a complete picture of the mental and emotional state of the patient;
- empathy is an important lever for psychologists to understand and to accurately identify problematic conditions;
- for criminologists, such a gift helps bit by bit to collect the smallest nuances about the thoughts and feelings of the victim / criminal;
- doctors can evaluate how ready the patient is for medical manipulations and how effectively the patient responds to treatment;
Empathic ability is considered not only important, but also a necessary quality for people. This is especially true for those whose work is directly related to communication: teachers, educators, managers, agents, executives, sellers, cosmetologists, stylists.
How empathy is born
Note that a person subtly perceives the feelings of others, you can already in early childhood. Little empaths:
- Too actively react to any manifestation of parental emotions. To quarrels, the increased timbre of the voice responds with crying.
- Somatic problems are also manifested: the face in babies turns red, the heart begins to beat more often, there is increased sweating.
Scientists note that empathy babies often appear in families where parents show great attention to the feelings of other people. Congenital empathy may fade over time or become stronger and more pronounced. Strengthen the ability to feel helps a warm, trusting atmosphere in the family, competent education based on caring for others.
What determines the ability to empathize
Empathy in psychology is a complex science, based on the initial sincere disposition to the interlocutor, the desire to understand and listen to him. A number of other personal qualities (character, level of education, intelligence) also affect the empathic gift:
- Such qualities as pedantry, rigor, dryness interfere with the full manifestation of empathic abilities.
- If a person has egocentrism (focusing on his own person), empathy is unfamiliar to him.
- The insufficiently high level of intelligence prevents the empathy from adequately assessing the situation. Such a person will incorrectly justify the feelings of the interlocutor.
More often, individuals with a high threshold of intellectual and spiritual development are prone to manifestations of true, deep empathy. Such people know how to come into close contact with the emotions of others, passing them through themselves. They are intuitively aware of the thoughts tormenting the interlocutors, and adequately assess the emotional states of their opponents.
In addition to the ability to empathize and subtly feel the emotions of others, empaths can also clearly perceive exciting situations from books, movies, theatrical productions.
Is it good to be an empath?
Having learned what empathy is, many people seek to develop such abilities in themselves. But do not rush into the pool with your head. Empathy is an important skill, but it must be used correctly. Many gift holders suffer from it. Indeed, for empaths it is extremely important to have a strong will and a strong, mature character. Otherwise, to cope with the influx of other people's emotions becomes an impossible task.
After all, in addition to invaluable advantages:
- ability to help family and friends;
- resolution of any conflict situations;
- inability to be deceived and to be deceived;
- excellent prospects for professionalism.
Empathy has negative sides, the reverse side of the coin. The disadvantages of this ability include:
- frequent feeling of emptiness;
- risk of developing mental disorders;
- rapid emotional "burnout";
- lack of reciprocity, which adds unnecessary experiences;
- a heightened perception of moral pain that empaths cannot resist.
Features manifestations of empathic tendencies are individual. They depend on the level and type of gift to which a certain person is inclined.
Types of Empathic Abilities
Among specialists there is a developed classification that defines categories, forms and degrees of empathic abilities. Designed a graduation by Carl Ransom Rogers (American educator and psychologist).
The main categories of empathy Empathy Categories
According to the psychological classification, empathic gift is divided into three types:
Emotional. An emotionally empathic person is a person who very closely perceives other people's experiences. They literally pass them through themselves, taking the pain of the interlocutor as their own. At any time, they respond to the trouble of strangers and always come to the rescue.
Emotional empathy is the most common, it is on it that friendly and understanding relationships are built.
Cognitive. A gift of this level is built on the ability to analyze the information received. Cognitive empathy first conducts a comparative characterization, analyzing their own thoughts and thoughts of opponents.
Such people not only subtly perceive and feel the emotions of the interlocutors, but also connect their own intelligence in order to thoroughly analyze the events. Their important task is to realize and fully understand. This type of empathy is observed in scientific disputes and discussions.
Predicative. "Predicate" means "a certain statement about a particular subject." This level of empathic ability is based on the ability to predict the behavior and feelings of opponents on an intuitive level. Such manifestations are more clearly observed in any conflict situations and quarrels. Predictive empathy knows how to put itself in the place of the interlocutor and understand his experiences “from the inside”, not contemplating, but penetrating deep into.
All categories of empathic abilities are observed in each person, to one degree or another. The level of their development depends on the nature of the personality, temperamental characteristics and the development of brain activity.
Empathic Forms
In empathy, psychologists also distinguish between two separate types of empathic state:
- Sympathy. The ability that is formed on the appearance of a personal sensual attitude to an event occurring with an opponent.
- Empathy. Empathic empathy is based on the emergence in the empathy of persistent emotions, such as those experienced by the interlocutor.
How different forms of empathy manifest themselves can be understood by observing the reaction of empathy. For example, if during an interview an opponent begins to worry to tears, provoking response tears in an empathic person - this is the ability to empathize.
With sympathy, an empathic person begins to show their own sound emotions similar to those experienced by the interlocutor.
Empathy Development Levels
Among psychologists, there are certain tests that help to identify the degree of development of empathic abilities. There are four levels:
High (affective). This level is characterized by an increased ability to fully penetrate and feel the feelings of others. Empath is so “accustomed” to the opponent’s problems that he ceases to distinguish his misfortunes from strangers.
If the empathic person does not have a strong enough, tough character, affective empathy can provoke him mental and personal problems.
Such individuals often suffer from overly developed sensibility, vulnerability. They have ultra-fine mental organization. If empaths are able to cope with the flows of other people's troubles, in the professional sphere they achieve high skill.
The main rule of empathy Elevated. Empaths of this level of development perceive someone else's pain and emotions without much harm to themselves. They show a sincere interest in the problems of the interlocutor, but keep some delicate distance. Such personalities are communicative, social, they can easily find a common language with any person.
Normal. The most common level of empathic ability. It is manifested by a good, innate gift of understanding the problems of strangers. Such a person is not indifferent to other people's troubles and is responsive to help. Empathy has increased participation in troubles and problems on close and dear people than on outsiders.
Low. There are people who completely lack a sense of empathy. These individuals are also called "anti-empaths." They do not differ in flexible thinking and are not able to look at the problem from the side. They will not be forced to take the opponent’s position if it differs from their own.
Anti-empaths are wholly focused on personal life and problems; among outsiders, they experience some discomfort. These are bright egocentric introverts with a narrow circle of communication and expressed problems in the ability to communicate with others.
How to become an empath
Can congenital empathic abilities be developed? According to psychologists, empathy can be trained and improved (subject to the availability of such a gift). Various trainings and specially designed exercises for the development of attentiveness will help in this..
How to develop empathy Especially good helpers in the training of empathic abilities are artistic sketches. These include:
- face memorization training;
- the exercise of looking at oneself from the side;
- transformation into other people, animals, birds, insects.
Empathy is promoted by associative games, dances, watching good exciting films, listening to music. Develop your own emotionality, and empathy will come with it. But, before becoming an empathy, determine for yourself whether you really need such an ability and whether you can manage it.
In simple words, empathy is the ability of a person to sympathize and understand others. Also, this definition may include many additional aspects. Depending on the characteristics and intensity of manifestation, several types of this condition are distinguished.What does the word empathy mean?
Translated from Greek, this term means empathy. If we turn to the scientific definition, empathy is a person’s ability to comprehend the inner world of another subject and empathize with his problems. Also, this feeling can be manifested by the ability to perceive the emotional state, fears and anxieties of other people, realizing that these phenomena have nothing to do with it.There is a wide range of manifestations of this ability - from total immersion in the feelings of another person to an objective understanding of the emotions of other people without involvement in them.
This condition has no rational explanation and is not the result of intellectual effort. Empathic understanding arises on its own, in some cases against the will of the person. There are many theories on the origin of this feeling. Most specialists are inclined to believe that this ability is transmitted at the genetic level.
For the first time in psychological practice, the definition was introduced by the American psychologist Edward Titchner. He also established a classification of the principles of empathy, which is used to this day. Many other scientists have also studied the mechanisms of this condition.
The head of the Center for Progressive Development in Washington, Douglas Labir, proposes a definition of Empathy Deficiency Syndrome (SDE). According to the scientist, the main problem of modern society is a reduced level of empathic understanding between people.
How does a feeling of empathy manifest
This condition is manifested by a sincere interest in another subject, namely its emotional state, problems and causes of anxiety.This ability largely depends on other character traits, the level of intelligence and the emotional activity of an empath:
- So, if an individual endowed with this gift , different egocentrism (inability to perceive other points of view) and fixated on his person, he can not penetrate deeply into the feelings and thoughts of the environment.
- With insufficient intellectual development, an individual with empathic inclinations can draw primitive conclusions and incorrectly interpret his feelings about the state of another person.
- A similar situation can develop if one who has this ability is characterized by emotional dryness.
It should be noted that in most cases, those who are prone to empathy are people with a high level of spiritual and intellectual development.
Manifestations of this condition are:
- intuitive awareness of the feelings and conditions of other subjects;
- experiencing emotions similar to those experienced by the interlocutor;
- the ability to try on the roles of other people;
- skills to accept someone else's point of view without obstacles;
- assessment of the situation from the perspective of another person.
Types of empathy in psychology
The study of this phenomenon is largely carried out by such specialists as psychologists, psychotherapists and psychoanalysts. In psychology, there is a separate direction proposed by Karl Rogers, which is called client-centered therapy and is based on empathy. It was on it that the psychologist built work with patients.Rogers defines this condition as the ability to put shoes on and to perceive the coordinate system of the interlocutor from the inside.
According to the classification proposed by Edward Titchner, there are several types of this ability:
- Emotional empathy. People prone to this feeling imitate the emotions of their environment, and perceive their pain and experiences as their own. Moreover, at any moment they are ready to respond to the excitement of their interlocutor.
- Cognitive empathy. This ability is manifested in the ability to compare and analyze thoughts that worry the opponent. That is, the empathy does not just perceive the feelings of his vis-a-vis, but connects mental abilities in order to understand what is happening.
- Predicative empathy - means to predict the feeling and behavior of another person under certain circumstances. This ability is especially pronounced in conflicts and quarrels.
- Empathy, which is expressed in the experience of the same emotions that the opponent experiences.
- Empathy, manifested in the emergence of personal feelings about the situation in which the interlocutor is.
The degree of manifestation of empathic inclinations
In psychology, there are four levels of empathy:- Elevated. It shows a pronounced ability to delve into the problems of others. The individual ceases to separate his problems from strangers, which in most cases provokes a lot of problems in his personal life. Most often, such people experience unreasonable guilt, suffer from excessive vulnerability and impressionability.
Psychologists call this kind of affective empathy. Many people with such inclinations who manage to cope and control their emotions begin to use their ability in professional activities. They make good specialists in the field of psychology and other areas of interaction with people.
- Tall. Which means understanding the feelings and emotions of others without much damage to oneself. These people treat their friends and relatives with sincere interest, while respecting delicacy. They easily find a common language with others, are sociable and involved in social life. Sometimes a person with a high degree of empathic understanding awaits approval and support from the environment and, in the absence thereof, easily loses his temper.
- Normal. Typical for most people. It manifests itself in understanding, but indifference to the feelings of other people. Participation in problems is demonstrated mainly in relation to family members or friends.
- Low. Such people are called anti-empaths. They are not able to look at the problem from a different point of view or take a different position from their own. Anti-empath is focused on their own experiences and is uncomfortable in the society of other people. Therefore, the circle of his communication is rather narrow, there are very few friends or not at all.
When it appears and what contributes to empathy
It is possible to determine empathic abilities in a person in early childhood. Such babies too actively react to the problems of their parents or their environment - they begin to cry when they hear crying, raised tone, cursing. In addition to tears, their heartbeat can become more frequent, their face redden, sweating may intensify. There are no scientifically sound arguments for the fact that this ability is innate.But experts note that such children are most often born to parents, who attach great importance to the experiences of other people. Having been born an empath, a child can subsequently develop this feeling or lose it. This ability is strengthened by a warm and trusting atmosphere within the family, a positive example on the part of adults about the need for empathy and the ability to put oneself in the place of others.
Advantages and disadvantages
Upon learning what empathy, many begin to strive to master this ability or develop it in their children. It must be borne in mind that often people with such a gift do not know how to use it for its intended purpose. Such a feature of the psyche can bring great suffering to the subject, because in order to cope with other people's negative emotions, you need a strong character and a mature mind. Therefore, having decided to develop this ability, it is recommended to familiarize yourself not only with the positive aspects, but also with the reverse side of the coin.The pluses include the following:
- great prospects for professional development;
- effective assistance to loved ones;
- inability to be deceived;
- the ability to avoid and extinguish conflicts.
- rapid emotional burnout;
- exposure to anxiety;
- high probability of developing mental disorders;
- in the sphere of interpersonal relations, situations may be formed according to the “one-goal game” scheme;
- possible lack of reciprocity from others;
- hypersensitivity leads to the fact that such people are easy to inflict moral pain, and they themselves are not able to withstand it.
