Sorry, I can't remember which WP members said this but I think it's a brilliant quote. I use it in presentations I give about Aspergers'.
Quote:
I believe empathy is one of the biggest problems for aspies. Others' feelings, motivations, hidden agendas, interests, plans, goals are a mystery to us, we lack the intuition to capture them, we lack the antennae to tune into them.
This is not to be confused with lacking compassion. Once I know what another may be going through, I am extremely compassionate.
Empathy is the ability to figure what the other is feeling or thinking. It's what good salesmen are best at. They intuitively know how to catch your interest, what will hook you, what will make you feel at home with them. They're not necessarily compassionate. The fact that they can figure you out easily doesn't mean they care for your sufferings.