Is it normal people lack empathy towards things they cannot relate to?

74% Normal
2 Comments

Today I had an epiphany after posting a topic here about my impaired empathy which received a low normalcy rating.
I cannot comprehend most peoples emotions so I am not sympathetic towards them and have always seen emotional vulnerability as weakness. Not because I want to be an asshole but because I cannot relate and have very little emotion myself so I don't see why other people do.
Anyway my epiphany I had was that I have neurological issues and other people have always been not understanding of. For example one symptoms that I have been the most criticized for is that I sleep an average of 16 hours a day. This prevents me from working and it is almost impossible for me to wake up. Even if I do I can often not move much. I wonder if most people are not understanding of this because they do not relate to this problem.

My thought is do most people lack empathy to what they do not relate to?

Voting Results
74% Normal
Based on 43 votes (32 yes)
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Comments ( 2 )
  • thr
    10 years ago

    Yes, having experienced something akin to what someone else is experiencing will probably make it easier to relate and empathize.

    I also think it has to do with choosing to feel empathy, and that ideology or insufficient knowledge can affect how much people chose to empathize.

    E.g., someone may simply may write off drug users because they think drugs are simply bad and people who do drugs are wrong doers.

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  • [Old Memory]
    10 years ago

    People pick and choose what they show empathy towards.

    Almost every display made by a person is false and constructed towards a goal.

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