Empathy WAS: Whoa! What Did I Miss?

[Guest guest]

There was just a program on called Most Evil. They talked about one of the serial killers who had kind of autism (missed if they said Asperger's). They went on to talk about he Functional MRI tests and that a lack of mirror cells seemed to indicate a lack of empathy, with empathy being defined ad the ability to understand the emotional state of other or "feel their pain." I will give it to the program though. They did say that this was only a theory, the link between fewer mirror cells and lack of empathy. They also said that violence was uncommon amongst autistics.

The doctor did want to test psychopaths and sociopaths in the future. Of course, it seems odd to me that they tested autistics most thoroughly about mirror cells first and not the criminals they are studying. Then again, that might have been outside research the doctor referred to, they weren't very clear.

In a message dated 4/25/2008 12:57:25 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

So NT empathy is not the end-all be-all of what empathy ought to be in my opinion. In fact, I don't think NTs know what empathy is.AdministratorNeed a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S. used car listings at AOL Autos.

[Guest guest]

> There was plenty of empathy and sympathy in Secret Society from our

> Aspie members though, and it is said we are not supposed to have any.

>

I was surprised when I first heard that Aspies didn't have " empathy. "

However, I think the word " empathy " is confused in our language

with " caring. " Just because I don't " get " what people are thinking when

I am telling them something (especially when I am saying or doing

something that they find annoying), doesn't mean that I don't " care "

about people. In fact, just the opposite I believe is true: I see

myself as very caring. I really wish they would come up with a better

word for what we lack, rather than to use the word " empathy. " I think

it is more of an " awareness " issue than it is an issue of the " heart, "

if that makes sense.

[Guest guest]

" I was surprised when I first heard that Aspies didn't have " empathy. "

However, I think the word " empathy " is confused in our language

with " caring. " Just because I don't " get " what people are thinking

when

I am telling them something (especially when I am saying or doing

something that they find annoying), doesn't mean that I don't " care "

about people. In fact, just the opposite I believe is true: I see

myself as very caring. I really wish they would come up with a better

word for what we lack, rather than to use the word " empathy. " I think

it is more of an " awareness " issue than it is an issue of the " heart, "

if that makes sense. "

There is another component to this also. Often I believe I know what

other people are feeling because I think about how I would be feeling

if I were standing in their shoes.

Thing is, many of these people don't think the way I do. I'll give an

example.

Someone comes up to me and asks whether a fact they heard was true or

false. I think to myself that if I had asked that question, I would

want the short answer first and the longer answer second.

And so I say " True. Glass is actually considered a liquid, according

to an 'Ask lin' article in the Chicago Tribune. She basically

explained that it is a liquid but it moves so slowly that its effects

are not seen for a hundred years or more, at which time one would

find that the glass is thicker at the bottom than the top. "

What happens in situations such as these is a frowning derision

coming from the other person and this comment: " If I wanted the whole

science lecture I would have asked for it. I don't care WHY it's true

or false. I just want to know if it IS true or false. "

I believe it's the same way with emotions. When I was child, my

neighbor's German shepard, who I never saw often, got run over by a

truck. My friend mourned for about a day and a half and then was

talking enthusiastically about getting another dog. Another day after

that and you wouldn't have know the accident had happened. Meanwhile.

I actually mourned this dog and felt bad for it because it seemed to

be passing out of everyone's memories so quickly. After about a week

I was told by my neighbor whose dog it was that I was being a fool.

It was only an animal after all.

So NT empathy is not the end-all be-all of what empathy ought to be

in my opinion. In fact, I don't think NTs know what empathy is.

Administrator