aspies and empathy

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I have empathy when I am explicitly told what another person
is experiencing. I have to be told, "She is very hurt," to
understand what is going on. Then I feel the empathy kick
in, strong, like a knife in the gut. PLUS the guilt that I didn't
"get it" right away.

I don't feel empathy, but I have a close substitute. That substitute is an inborn instinct to fix things that are broken. Often people come to me with problems like: Bill collectors are bothering me (solution: compose a cease & desist letter), My car died in traffic and won't start (solution: grab a new battery at Wal-mart and limp home to avoid a tow bill) , The neighbor's dog won't let me sleep (solution: mail a formal complaint to animal control), Someone wrote me a bad check (solution: have the DA file an arrest warrant), My son was killed (solution: attend the funeral or at least send flowers)

If someone just wants to whine, I come off as a cold scumbag. If there's something that can be fixed, I come off as a good guy. It is what it is.