Calling yourself an "empath" isn't a red flag, amirite?

Troi, just sit there and keep looking pretty.

by No-Rate1996 1 week ago

97.8% of people who tell you that they are empaths will also tell you that every one of their exes are narcissists and then go on to reveal a library of their own mental frailties.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I think some people think because they feel any type of empathy, they are an empath. But no, that's not what that means.

by Cathyvolkman 1 week ago

Then what does it mean if not to glorify your own empathy?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

But how do you know that you're feeling what they feel? Just because that's what you think someone might feel in that situation, it doesn't mean that's what they're feeling. Being empathetic means you can understand how they feel rather than just feeling sorry for them, not that you feel their feelings.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

That's the difference between being empathetic and being an empath...

by Ok_Insect 1 week ago

How are you guaranteed to feel someone else's feelings? You can feel based on their situation, but that is not guaranteed to be what they feel.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I've never met a self-labeled "empath" that wasn't a narcissist or didn't have a raging savior complex.

by Randiraynor 1 week ago

Sometimes memes and popular words just get hijacked or tarnished, similar to what we saw with the word 'woke.' I remember when it just meant you were aware of issues and struggles outside of your immediate life. Now it means you ruined Star Wars or something.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Ever since covid, I feel like we've normalized disregarding other's feelings. It's now seen as weakness/pointless to care about what other people feel. Hence where I think the notion of an empath being a "red flag" comes from. It shouldn't be a red flag, it's called kindness and it should be celebrated.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

somebody calling themselves an empath is a red flag. Actual empaths don't go around telling everyone they're an empath. It's attention seeking behavior usually displayed by very self centered people. There are plenty of actual empaths, they just don't say "I'm an empath." Being an empath is not the red flag, telling people youre an empath is.

by Holiday-Scale 1 week ago

Calling yourself an empath isn't the red flag. Writing it in your Tinder bio right next to 'sapiosexual' and 'moon child' absolutely is.

by Trick-Painting 1 week ago

Nearly everyone experiences empathy. And it's acuteness is related to how deep you're willing to embody/ envision the thing your empathizing with. What is the point of believing that you're an empath? To arbitrarily assume you feel more than others? For what purpose? Maybe you're dramatic, or triggered, or responding normally to whatever the thing you're empathizing with. And telling someone your an empath is also strange, we all have different things we're dramatic about and triggered by. We're all sensitive, to different stimuli, to different degrees. Calling yourself an empath is a nothing statement that seems to be more about how you'd like to be perceived, than it is about what you actually experience.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Yes, most everyone experiences empathy, but not everyone is an empath. Can you watch The Office without wanting to die of second hand embarassment? Can you see that a couple is having an argument in a crowded room and it doesn't affect you? You may be able to empathize, but unless it affects you viscerally, you're probably not an empath.

by Ok_Insect 1 week ago

Never met a self proclaimed empath that wasn't just incredibly lacking in self awareness. They've all been pretty self centered, and completely lacking introspection. However, I have met plenty of sweet people who are very sensitive to others emotions. They just don't advertise it though like the former.

by Business-Patient5679 1 week ago

Who tf are all these narcissists proclaiming themselves empaths?? I've never heard someone say this irl, only ever heard people call it a red flag

by Ok_Insect 1 week ago

Having empathy is a thing, being an empath isn't. Unless you're half Betazoid.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Hahah, that just means you're unfamiliar with being an empath. That's like saying that lacking empathy is a thing, being a sociopath isn't....but like, we know that's not true. Just because you have no experience with something doesn't mean you get to deny it exists.

by Ok_Insect 1 week ago

Yep. My experience has been that people who call themselves empaths are actually projecting.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Yeah, I've known people who I think are actual empaths, and I've never once heard them describe themselves that way. They're just really lovely people. The people I've known who tell you they're an empath are generally not quite as lovely

by Holiday-Scale 1 week ago

I've met people who are visibly and obviously more sensitive to and affected by the emotional state of others. I've met people who announce themselves as empaths. The venn diagram between these two groups has a very small overlap. And perhaps more importantly to the opinion, I've never met someone who announced themselves as an empath and didn't turn out to be an asshole.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

It's called being a red flag of a self centered drama queen. That's what you call it, as that is what it is.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

That's called being empathetic…

by DriveElectronic2206 1 week ago

Again demonstrating that you have no idea what an empath is.

by Ok_Insect 1 week ago

Okay, go enjoy your superpowers. If it isn't some 1:1 connection with someone that is supernatural, then it is just being empathetic.

by DriveElectronic2206 1 week ago

So do you think sociopaths don't exist? What are they except people who are exceptionally lacking in empathy?

by Ok_Insect 1 week ago

Being an empath is not a nice quirk, it is a painful existence. Taking on the emotions of everyone else is extremely draining and difficult. Empaths are not going around advertising it like it's a cute personality trait. It's extremely hard and without therapy it can destroy you.

by Adorable-Cat3886 1 week ago

I think a common misconception that people and actual empaths themselves fall down is the believe that you can feel the emotions of others more acutely but I think it's more accurate to say you project your feelings onto others and analyse how you would feel in their situation. Depending on your emotional intelligence and maturity you can be pretty perspective, and a part of what others consider to be empathic traits is just being a good listener but being empathic is really just as much about you as it is about other people. There will be times you read people wrong and push your own perception on others. Being empathetic to me is like someone being mathematically intelligent or being a social butterfly, it's just a natural way you absorb and reflect the world around you but it can hinder you as much as it helps you. You might be more sensitive to your emotions and the emotions of others but depending on your own state of mind it's easy to overly scrutinise others and misread them completely. I like to think I'm pretty good at socialising but there are so many times where I am uncertain if someone doesn't like me or they don't even remember me putting my foot in my mouth, just like everyone else.

by PrestigiousCelery798 1 week ago

I think that people who are not empaths think that being one is the same as having empathy. That's not true though. Most people have empathy. I would say that being an empath is akin to being a sociopath, just on the opposite end of the spectrum.

by Ok_Insect 1 week ago

I have never an actual person who would call themselves an empath. Normally, it's characters with super powers.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Being allergic to dogs isn't a personality trait. I wouldn't say being an empath is necessarily a red flag, but it can make you incomparable with some people.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Me when I make a basic human trait my personality

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Cause if that's the case, what are we supposed to call it? Nothing, learn about humility.

by Far_Still_1133 1 week ago

I think my main issue with it is a lot of people who describe themselves as "empaths" from my experience, tend to be the most full of themselves as well as neglectful of others.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

? It totally is a red flag. That and claiming to be any sort of "shaman". 10 red flags right there

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Yes, yes it is. The best way to show that you're empathetic is… to be empathetic. Action, not words. It's also been my experience that people who claim to be an empath: A) make it their entire personality and B) have no empathy. It's performative.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

So you can be an empath, but as soon as you say it then you're a narcissist?

by Ok_Insect 1 week ago

I wouldn't call it narcissistic specifically, but it definitely feels performative. If a person is truly an empath, it would show in their actions. Telling me you're something without evidence is meaningless. It's been my experience that when a person has to announce something like that, it's usually the opposite.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

How are they sure the feel what other feel (by others, I don't mean people you know well, because that level of empathy - feeling what your closed one feel- is the lowest level of empathy there is, according to psychology).? Every people I know who pride themselves being that is a king/queen of projection, lol.

by Anonymous 1 week ago