Are you an empath?
You are an empath if you have highly developed intuitive senses or sensory perceptions.
The Mirriam Webster dictionary defines empathy as “the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts and experiences of another of either the past or present without having the feeling, thoughts and experiences fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.
Did that definition help? No?
In reader friendly terms: Empathy is feeling the emotions of others
All humans possess empathic characteristics to a certain extent–we can “catch” a sneeze from someone else, or laugh/cry when we see others doing the same.
“Don’t cry! I’ll start crying too.” A phrase used by many women–whether they have extreme empathic traits or not.
We all put on our game face-especially in public, but an empath actually feels what another is really feeling.
Indicators you’re an empath:
- Do you get instant feelings about someone and intuit their true mood?
- Do you instinctively know if someone is lying and the emotion behind the lie ( malice, guilt, courtesy)?
- Do you cry or laugh or sneeze or feel pain when you are in close proximity to another who is experiencing those emotions/symtoms? For example: Will your own knee hurt when speaking to someone who is recovering from knee surgery?
- Do certain noises drive you crazy? ( besides a screaming baby on an airplane)
- Does a particular scent cause you to cry or laugh for no apparent reason?
- Can you discern the prevailing emotion in a meeting?
- Can you discern the emotional atmosphere in an empty room? ( leftover or residual emotional energy)
- Can you determine if a person has high or low energy upon first meeting them?
- Do parties leave you drained or overwhelmed?
- Do people seek you out to dump on you emotionally?
- Does watching some horror or tragedy on TV or movies leave you upset for hours!
- Do you feel compelled or obligated to help people in pain?
- Are you able to heal people through word or touch?
Most people possess empathy–it’s what makes us human.
Advertisers know this and use our capacity to feel another’s emotions to drive sales ( think about all those sad puppy commercials).
Many websites are devoted to Empaths and the “problems” that come with being an emotional sponge. Wish I had time to review them all for you!
Related Posts: Engaging Enigmas
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