Anti-Empathy as Aspie traite?

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I've seen a lot of post from others with Asperger's that list lack of empathy as one of their characteristics. How ones attitudes are towards a pet often is a way to measure this. I love animals and have more empathy for them than I do humans. And with humans, I've always been supportive of the underdog and see myself as having empathy for the downtrodden.

So, if a lack of empathy is normal for Asperger types, maybe I've simply got NVD instead. I seem to keep going back and forth as new info unfolds. Are there people with an Asperger dx with some empathy traites?

Thanks for any insights in this area.
Philski

I actively resist expressing any feelings of empathy. While I may feel some compassion for others, I remember how little compassion they've shown for me.

If they haven't paid it forward to me, then I'm not obligated to pay it back to them.

I don't believe any of it.
Compassion and herd instinct are two totally separate things.
Usually you need to chose one OR the other and can't have both.
I care. I care so much that I have trouble understanding all the cruelty, so they say I have no empathy.
It's just a bunch of nonsense and goes around in circles.

I have plenty of empathy. People need to have empathy for our kind.

Empathy is a 'strange' thing, actually. How could you empathize with something you CAN'T EXPERIENCE? If I can experience something I can empathize with it, but if I can't, I can't. For instance I can't empathize with ALL THOSE PEOPLE who DEPEND ON LIES. So, what I mean is.......I can't empathize with a chronic liar, for instance. I can't empathize with a person who wants to 'hurt' others for the enjoyment of it. I can't empathize with someone who needs power and control over other human beings. Etc.

If I work on it long enough, I CAN empathize with something that's totally outside of my experience, but I have trouble when it's immoral or when I am the direct victim. When you lie to me and/or about me, when you take what's mine, try to crush or break my mind, or try to control me, I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry.

It doesn't surprise me at all that other people want me to care. It surprises me only when they expect it.

I don't think I have ever experienced empathy, as strictly defined. I have developed an intellectual understanding of other's thoughts, motives, point of view, etc, but it is better discribed as TOM. For the most part, I have an easier time feeling a strong emotional connection with locations in the natural environment - mountains, trees, creeks and the like - than with people or animals.

I have empathy, I just hardly feel it.

Empathy's come up a lot, and the conclusion seems to be that it depends on the person and on the definition of empathy.

And because of the varying meanings of empathy, I'm disinclined to answer the poll.

As far as ability to understand how someone feels, beyond just knowing how I'd feel in their place, I have some empathy, but am probably lacking compared to the average person.

It's a pretty bizzare phenomena, I agree.

I lack empathy very much so. Though I think I can have sympathy and compassion in abundance for those I believe deserve it. I also think the same can be said for alot of people with AS when you consider our strong sense of justice and fairness.

philski, from what you've described, you could still be lacking in empathetic ability and display all the traits you've mentioned, experiencing sympathy and intellectualised understanding for other people and animals.

I have zero empathy towards people, but I'm overempathetic towards animals.

In some ways this thread ties back into this one:
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt86415.html

Empathy? Is that like telepathy? I don't think most people actually have alot of empathy unless they've been in alot of different life situations. From what I've seen anyway.

Empathy is little more than the ability to identify and understand other people's feelings and emotions. There is nothing magical, mystical, or paranormal about it.

Often I have a delayed reaction of empathy. I intellectualize the situation first, and only some time after, maybe days, do I feel any actual empathy.