Is it normal that i don’t feel compassion or empathy?
I can’t remember one time in my life when I’ve felt compassion or empathy for another human being. I’ve learned to mimic emotional responses but other people’s pain or suffering just doesn’t move me at all.
I’ve never struggled with superficial small talk or making friends and I’ve always found that I make friends quite quickly but I don’t usually hold on to the same friends/relationships for a long time.
When I was a child, I didn’t even really realise that other people felt empathy or compassion and I still wonder if people exaggerate it to make people like them. I can now fake emotional reactions quite convincingly and I wonder if other people are just doing the same thing.
It’s never really bothered me that I’m like this, especially now I’ve learned to use it to my advantage. But do most other people feel the way I do?