You're not alone, I feel pretty much exactly as you described as well.

I once got compared to Hannibal Lecter. I think that makes this pretty clear where I am on the empathy scale. There, couldn't have put it better myself.

I've been told by a lot of people that I'm very empathetic. Not to the same degree as OP, but I usually find I can relate pretty well to other people and get what they are going through. I used to hate it because it always caused anxiety from it, but now I feel like its made me a better person overall.

I cried during the Simpsons Movie because I felt sooo bad for Homer when Bart told him he'd rather be with Flanders.

I can relate, OP.

I ended up as the guy who helped people who were vomiting everywhere after drinking too much, even if the person is someone I don't know. I'm pretty empathetic, though one wouldn't know from how I act. However, I have little to no regard for those I don't like, unless it affects me.

When it comes to non-real people, I'm verrrry twisted. I tend to laugh at fictional character's suffering and make fun of it, though I do have a hard time actually being a bastard in a game. Unless there is no consequence. The only times I ever got choked up is if a dog gets hurt or dies, and Iroh's short in Avatar.

I care too much for my own good sometimes, so people keep telling me

After fourteen years with a psychotherapist, I have way more empathy than I care to. Fortunately, it seems like I can turn it off and on if I choose to, depending on how much I like a person. But some sad movies will get me, almost for no reason. That gets aggravating.

Right now? None.

I think my sense of empathy tends to be misguided as often as not: I have far too much empathy for fictional characters and inanimate objects. I still feel sad for an armchair I had to leave behind a few years ago. Poor chair.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I07xDdFMdgw

:tongue:

No, I don't empathize with other people. That's not to say I don't have empathy. My empathy is understanding what they're going through, but my active refusal to empathize (or perhaps sympathize) means I don't actually experience it by any proxy. I don't think that people are quite so complicated that they're actions and experiences can't be neatly explained and understood, and all you really need is a good mediating unbiased outlook.

When it comes to fiction I'm not sure I empathize with the characters themselves either, so much as I view myself an observer. That's not to say I haven't cried, but it takes quite a bit to make me cry.

I'm a normal guy and I have normal levels of empathy. Sometimes, reading some posts on this forum relating to people's lives and such makes me feel "left out" sort of.

I can feel extremely empathetic towards people, even those I don't know, or haven't met.

But I can also "tune it out", and be calculatingly cold blooded if the situation warrents. <-- me not the nicest person to know in that regard :shakehead:

I am very empathetic even though I try not to be.

Empa-whaty? Is that another useless thing like a con science? Sounds lame.

:rofl:

To TV shows and things, no I feel nothing much for them. Then again that might just be bad acting. Rarely have I ever felt something from a show, and its hard to remember such a memory, but I knoe it happened. Ok Lion King when Simba's Dad dies when I was a little kid.

Real life, I'd say a moderate amount, put a hand over someone's shoulder and try to calm them down, or cheer them up, or be silent, depends on the person. I can feel for some people f they lost someone or had a misfortune of some kind. Maybe not enough to actually get out of my way to do something but comfort them usually for family or close friends.

- but usually this is big issue stuff like if you lost a job or someone died. Not like you flunked a test or got kicked out of the house for being an idiot.

Most times I'm just neutral and piece it together.

i think that last sentence sounds something that your whateveritisinyouravatar was chosen on, judging by the avatar.

with that said... i sometime find myself flinch, slightly to definitely visible, when someone on TV or movie gets hurt or something. i think its safe to say that mine is lesser than yours, though. i just remind myself that is only a movie, a show, etc, not real, and does not require any reaction from me. so you might want to try not think about them; sure it happens, but don't dwell on it, just switch focus and attention to something equally or more captivating, let this die out through non use, starve it to submission by not giving it what it wants, your attention. and no, sorry, no switch unless you are willing to accept and explore the realm of spiritual and spiritual explanation of it. but even then the switch won't work all the time without commitment, your will power will still feed what you want to feed.

now, its not that your "connecting", as you put it, is bad, don't be quick to think that. it just needs to shift from being "connected" to virtual and real to only being "connected" to real. and then be used in real life, for like, in a compassionate job(s)(eh, caretaker, something else?). and if it does not apply to real life with the same tenacity as to virtual, then i'd have to question its validity: virtual feels connected(because for one it does not imply commitment of any kind), but in real life it does demand a commitment to willfully maintain it at times, which, if not given, then i can't help but wonder about the validity of these "connecting".

simply put, no commitment to maintain these in real life if they are removed from virtual, then its time to question validity of it all, valid things imply commitment, fake things demand no commitment.

This. I just don't care. My wife and my coworker will often say I have no heart because I don't care. To that I say, "Eh. Whatever."

If you and I were in the same room watching the same movie I'd most likely be more adept at making fun of you.

5 tears out of 7 I have alot of empathy, I get very emotional about scenarios in films or fiction, that mixed with slight ADHD is not a good combination

That was so sad. My week is now ruined.

Edit: for the record I'm only half joking: I do feel genuine sadness. I am officially Teh Fail™.

What would happen if everyone with high empathy started empathizing about everyone else who have high empathy, and then they start.

None at all, I couldn't care less about someone else's problems.

You mean you COULDN'T.

Dammit man.

Oh right, Well thats what happens when I post without my caffeine.

GOOD LAD.

I find my empathy is only equalled by my apathy.