How do NTs feel empathy/sympathy?

Post Reply New Topic

Well, empathy/sympathy can be an additional source of motivation to do a particular act, especially acts that would logically cause yourself some degree of harm or detriment. Empathy can be a great driving force for self-sacrifice. I think that the biological origins of empathy/sympathy stem from the mother-child relationship. Since a human infant is pretty much helpless, it's important for the mother to be in tune with the baby's needs and to establish emotional bonds between mother and baby to take better care of the baby. That baby practically becomes the focus of the mother's life. Of course like everything else in life, empathy/sympathy can be taken too far, especially in situations where logical solutions to problems are required. Sometimes emotional responses just won't cut it.

By the way, you wouldn't have to be cold to be able to invite them in. Instead you'd have to know what it feels like to be cold, from personal experience.

You wouldn't necessarily have to know what it is like from personal experience. In my opinion, it's enough to know that it is unpleasant to be cold, and that they would need to get warm to get a more pleasant feeling.

Yes, empathizing and sympathizing with others can and does help comfort them. I can't tell you why you would or should empathize with others, but I want to tell you why I do: Its my choice. I choose to empathize and sympathize with others for moral reasons. I made the decision long ago that I would live my life with the purpose of ending or minimizing pain and suffering of humans, starting with my family and extending outward from there. That is my moral compass...relieving pain and suffering is "good" and increasing pain and suffering is "bad." That's it. I'm not bragging, I'm not saying I'm a saint because I'm not, I'm not saying I don't turn a blind eye to others' pain and suffering from time to time, and I'm not saying that everyone else should be like me. Empathy and sympathy are skills I learned from my parents and the school of hard knocks, that help me live my life with purpose and achieve success on my own terms. Fortunately it seems, people who become doctors, police officers, firepeople, ambulance drivers, and other care providers feel the same way. Please do not miscontrue my intentions here: I'm simply trying to explain how it is that can empathize and sympathize with others, because I certainly have the capacity to turn those emotions off in almost all cases.

To AnnePande, good point about getting very upset every single time something bad happens, with the frequency of accidents that are shown on TV. That is why I don't watch news on TV...too overwhelming emotionally. There's a lot of bad in the world, which actually makes it pretty easy to do good if one is so inclined.

To the person who laughed at the Twin Towers falling in flames while nearly 3,000 people died in the carnage: I feel sorry for you.

Sorry if I made too many "I" statements here, but I don't represent other NTs...only myself. The question is "how do NTs feel empathy/sympathy" hopefully this provides some insight.