Aspies, do you lack empathy?

Post Reply New Topic

I empathsize with everything but humans.

I believe the charge that Aspies lack empathy is yet another attempt to dehumanize those with a simple difference.

We simply do not respond in the manner NT's would prefer us to; so they conclude we lack concern for our fellow man. Like saying a deaf person "just isn't listening". Learn sign language, jackass.

Half the world's population lacks proper food, shelter and medical care. People are dying because they live on top of oil deposits.

Lack of empathy is a human, not an autistic problem.

This just proves how serious and universal "lacking empathy" is. I think this area is far understudied.
Why do so many not care.
If you look at the world and it's problems, it is soooo obvious that most people do not care. They just don't care and they are very selfish. What disorder is this? We live in a world full of selfish, uncaring, hateful people.
The diagnostic criteria "lacks empathy" for Asperger's is very confusing.
Keep in mind it's also criteria for other disorders, especially those of the personality and no one knows how far reaching they are, how many have them. Who knows, the majority of humanity can have personalities that "lack empathy". As for AS, the label confuses people. Thinking in terms of "spectrum" helps.

I just wikied Empathy again because I confuse it with sympathy on a regular basis.
Empathy means understanding the feelings of another.
Consider this: Is lacking empathy always bad? It has a negative connotation because FBI profilers use the term "lacking empathy" when describing the profiles of those who seem predestined to commit certain crimes, like murder.
I question that. Do the people who fit these profiles really lack empathy? Or can they feel empathy, push it aside by using a rationalization, and continue what they are doing anyway?
It's far too vague.
Also, is lacking empathy, in itself, inherently bad? I don't think it always is. If someone is abusive should I share empathy with them?
Maybe this explains why there is so much tragedy in the world, too many people sharing too much empathy with abusive people?
Ask yourselves: Is lacking empathy so terrible?

I think compassion fatigue is very understandable. Nobody can carry the world's troubles on just one pair of shoulders. The other thing is that I think some people actually take on the bad emotions (usually sorrow) because they feel they're being unkind if they don't "really feel" for the sufferer. Though it's hard for a sad person if they've just spilled their guts to somebody who shortly afterwards acts in a very carefree way right in front of them. It doesn't necessarily mean they don't care, but sad people can be very sensitive to any sign of callousness. I hate the guilt-driven thing where people say you should care, and I think there's too many accusations of hard-heartedness - we've all got our limits. Most people seem to gravitate towards cheerful people and barely notice the quiet and sorrowful ones. I'm more likely to be the other way around, I don't know how healthy that is, but I just seem to have an eye for sorrow.

But the skill and practice of being able to know the emotions of others all the time, it must be good to have that, and if somebody simply doesn't care about others, they're not really living the full spectrum of life.

I'm not sure weather or not I lack empathy. If I am feeling empathetic towards something, I don't notice it.

I have a ridiculous amount of empathy (I avoid your "haven" and rant threads exactly for this reason). But that's probably the gifted end of me.

I have empathy, I think it is a misconception that most people in the autistic spectrum don't have emotions and can't read others. Although I don't pay attention to other's too much to be honest.

I thought I had empathy, I now know that I dont. I have sympathy based on logic. IE I know that it must be terrible to live in Iraq and have your family destroyed, however I cannot 'feel' that horror.

I realised the other day that I have had ONE experience of true empathy, a situation involving my partner where whenever I think about it I feel the remorse she must have felt, this feeling has nothing to do with me, and is definitely not sympathy.

The difference between empathy and sympathy is a feeling. Empathy involves 'feeling' the wrong, sympathy is knowing the wrong via logic.

I like that way of seeing it - as a question of feelings.

I have trouble with feelings generally, it's like I have a very blurred picture of something very important.

I can get very concerned for people who are getting hurt, and I guess I'm able to work it out that they're getting hurt without having to see it.