# EMPATHS AND HSP'S ONLY PLEASE! Am I an empath? Please help me figure this out!



## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

So two months ago I made a thread in order to find out if I was an empath. I got some unhelpful posts, several good posts, and posts with links with good information. The main problem was that a lot of people didn't respond to my responses to their posts. To be fair I posted my responses late. This time I will make sure to reply more quickly. I am dying to know the truth of whether I am an empath, HSP, or neither. I really think that I am an empath because I strongly identified with the links with empath characteristics that I read, which I have posted below. Also when I reflected on how I was as a child, I was an empathetic, sensitive, kind person with a strong conscience, who was deeply concerned with morality. I could go more in depth as to why I think that I am an empath, but I'll hopefully save that for a discussion with an empath or HSP that responds to this thread. Finally, this year when I went to the hospital with a lot of people there, I felt all sorts of emotions and feelings that overwhelmed me. I please ask that only Empaths and HSP's post in this thread so I can get good information and hopefully have a good discussion. I am really hoping that some empaths or HSP's could have a discussion with me to help me figure out if I am an empath, HSP, or neither 

Here are some links to information on empath characteristics that I strongly relate to. 
30 traits of an Empath (How to know if you’re an Empath) | The Mind Unleashed
WHAT IS AN EMPATH - The Empath Way


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## psyche (Jan 5, 2011)

May I ask what your type is? Because my sister is an INFJ and I'm an INFP, and based on my perception in conjunction with what she's told me, I would say she is more of an empath and I am more of an HSP. The reason being, I think, that Introverted iNtuition is a perceiving function, so with that you're instinctively soaking up all the energy around you like a sponge. Combine that with Extraverted Feeling and you have someone who is going to act immediately and warmly on their receptivity to other people.

Now combine Introverted Feeling...a judging function based on personal values...with Extraverted iNtuition and you have someone who is very aware of their own feelings yet receptive to others' input; ie, "How can our exchange of ideas help me reaffirm or reevaluate my values?" Then the person is going to need time alone to process all that mass of information and the feelings that come with it.

Of course empaths need time alone, too...they're like emotional sponges, how could they not...but even in solitude I don't think they can separate their feelings from others' completely, unless maybe they take up a practice like meditation. But HSP's would probably be more likely to tell you how much they appreciate a dimly lit room or a warm bed or soothing music, at least I know I would.


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## Belzy (Aug 12, 2013)

Kazuma Ikezawa said:


> Also when I reflected on how I was as a child, I was an *empathetic, sensitive, kind person with a strong conscience, *who was deeply concerned with morality. I could go more in depth as to why I think that I am an empath, but I'll hopefully save that for a discussion with an empath or HSP that responds to this thread. Finally, this year when I went to the hospital with a lot of people there, I felt all sorts of *emotions and feelings that overwhelmed me*.


If you as a child were empathetic, sensitive and kind with a strong conscience you really have to be empathic and HSP in my opinion. If emotions and feelings overwhelm you like that, then you are clearly very sensitive to them which also sounds like being HSP.

And you say you identy with those links. For what reason do you doubt whether you are?


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

psyche said:


> May I ask what your type is?


I'm an INFP. I don't know too much about the mbti functions, but I don't think that just because I'm an INFP that I have to be a HSP as opposed to an empath. Is your INFJ=empath and INFP=HSP idea just a theory soley based on analyzing the mbti functions and your interactions with your sister, because I think that I'm an INFP empath. 

I know this might be asking too much, but could you maybe describe your HSP characteristics and your sisters empath characteristics? You don't have to, its just that I really really want to know if I'm an empath, HSP, or neither.


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## sometimes (Dec 26, 2013)

I didn't know these were proper criteria really or at least I didn't know that 'empath' was... I thought that an 'empath' is just a term for someone who has high empathy and there isn't really a set criteria beyond that? I guess figuring out how much empathy you have can be difficult though. But within that I thought it was more of a loose general term? And if you fit most of the criteria for HSP then you are one? I found the HSP test quite straight forward personally?


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

AAADD said:


> If you as a child were empathetic, sensitive and kind with a strong conscience you really have to be empathic and HSP in my opinion. If emotions and feelings overwhelm you like that, then you are clearly very sensitive to them which also sounds like being HSP.
> 
> And you say you identy with those links. For what reason do you doubt whether you are?


I doubt whether I'm an empath, HSP, or neither because those terms aren't scientific. Also, if I am one of the two then I'm not sure if I'm an empath or a HSP. By the way, those two links focused on empaths not HSP's.

Also, the main reasons why I think that I'm an empath, as opposed to an HSP, is because I have experienced relatively strong and varied meditative states, had an out of body experience, and have had mystical experiences and other paranormal experiences. When I first started meditating, I felt a rising sensation, a pulling sensation from the side, and saw flashing lights while closing my eyes. I stopped because I knew that I was going to deep. I had my first mystical experience, which was naturally produced, when I was about 8 years old.


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## angelfish (Feb 17, 2011)

To my understanding there are two fairly prevalent definitions of "empath": one variety of "empath" refers to a person who mirrors others' emotions/feelings to an extent that it impacts their own quality of life. IMO this is the more common and mainstream definition of the term, and it describes a general cluster of traits that will apply to many IxFx individuals. The other meaning for "empath" includes the first definition but expands it further to describe someone with particular spiritual proclivities like precognition, aura reading, or other extrasensory abilities. To my understanding, this is the less common definition of the term, and its value, specific characteristics, and veracity depend greatly on one's personal beliefs. There is no formal metric for gauging whether you are empathetic or not; it sounds from your OP that you could certainly self-identify that way, however. I am sure there are quizzes on the internet if you feel that you would benefit from a structured set of questions, but none are any more "official" than your own personal decision in the matter.

As for HSP, that is a formally defined (at least, by its creators) term that has a specific set of criteria that may overlap with both definitions of empath. This questionnaire is from the website of the psychologist who co-developed the term (/trait/set of traits). Whether or not the term applies to you on the whole is a matter of judging whether a _significant_ amount of the attributes listed apply to you.

Dr. Aron includes this explanation for how to "score" your answers: (bold is my own)

_If you answered more than fourteen of the questions as true of yourself, you are probably highly sensitive. *But no psychological test is so accurate that an individual should base his or her life on it.* We psychologists try to develop good questions, then decide on the cut off based on the average response.

If fewer questions are true of you, but extremely true, that might also justify calling you highly sensitive. Also, although there are as many men as women who are highly sensitive, when taking the test highly sensitive men answer slightly fewer items as true than do highly sensitive women._

In any case, I am curious as to why you feel like it is very important to you to identify whether the empath or HSP labels fit you?


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## RyuukoGo (Apr 6, 2015)

You could be both....after years or research,tests and events that have happened in my life ..I concluded that i am an INFJ,HSP and Empath.
My discovery of
INFJ type came from several tests for jobs I had applied to and online tests.

HSP from the books,videos such as my dislike of any noise when going to sleep, a clock ticking on the other side of the house keeps me up so i remove the batteries, the inability to carry a conversation in a noisy enviroment.I can't be physically touched by anything living for more than 15-30 minutes...fortunately it is in proportion the the size and length of contact...a hug...no problem...cuddling...no more than a few minutes then my skin feels like it is burning.

Empath...I sense the mood of a room,crowd and co-workers...I have I experienced cramps,pregnancy,morning sickness and other illnesses....my ex's psychologist like my ability because i could sense if my them wife's medication was not working....i remember going to a customers back yard to work on a heater,they were having a sort of wake for a deceased parent...Ii accidentally said i get a sense of relief...not despair..the son,who is a OC detective...commented he knew what i was talking about.

Just a FYI its estimated that 50% or more of gay men are empaths and effeminate ( aka a high feminine component to their personality )...I have been asked by female Empaths if I am gay or effeminate ..I told them am not gay :happy:


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## kittenmogu (Jun 19, 2014)

I don't see why you have reason to believe you're *not* an empath. It seems to be important to you to be sure of it by some objective criteria, but ultimately I wonder how much use it is to label yourself as such..

I do identify as an HSP to some extent (if prompted, which happens... never) because it gives a name to the precautions and experiences I have that seem to be specific. It says to me: this difference is real, and the ways in which you work with/around it are necessary and valid because it is real. I could probably say the same for identifying as an empath. Ultimately labels are meant to serve a purpose and can only describe a percentage of your human experience.


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## marc9497 (Aug 15, 2016)

I am a infp too. I can pick up on people's emotions real well. I am very sensitive. My mind never stops wandering and thinking. People tire and stress me out.


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

pippylongstocking said:


> I didn't know these were proper criteria really or at least I didn't know that 'empath' was... I thought that an 'empath' is just a term for someone who has high empathy and there isn't really a set criteria beyond that? I guess figuring out how much empathy you have can be difficult though. But within that I thought it was more of a loose general term? And if you fit most of the criteria for HSP then you are one? I found the HSP test quite straight forward personally?


Yeah there are proper criteria for being an empath. The problem is that "empath" is such an esoteric and unscientific term that its hard to find reliable criteria that determines if you are an empath or not. There are supposedly a lot of traits that empaths tend to have, based on the links in my first post. But some of the things like telepathy and precognition I'm highly highly skeptical about, but I'm also someone that is willing to believe that maybe some people out there have those abilities.

Also, the term empath is not a loose general term; based on what I've read it is a very specific term. Also, about the HSP test, I think that I am an empath as opposed to a HSP, so I would prefer some kind of empath test or empath criteria for me to take or read about respectively. Or I would prefer a test and criteria that determines if you are an empath or an HSP. I'm pretty sure that I'm one of the two.


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## sometimes (Dec 26, 2013)

Kazuma Ikezawa said:


> Yeah there are proper criteria for being an empath. The problem is that "empath" is such an esoteric and unscientific term that its hard to find reliable criteria that determines if you are an empath or not. There are supposedly a lot of traits that empaths tend to have, based on the links in my first post. But some of the things like telepathy and precognition I'm highly highly skeptical about, but I'm also someone that is willing to believe that maybe some people out there have those abilities.


I agree some of it seems a bit dubious. I read somewhere that's a term out of magical fantasy novels originally? 



> Also, the term empath is not a loose general term; based on what I've read it is a very specific term. Also, about the HSP test, I think that I am an empath as opposed to a HSP, so I would prefer some kind of empath test or empath criteria for me to take or read about respectively. Or I would prefer a test and criteria that determines if you are an empath or an HSP. I'm pretty sure that I'm one of the two.


If empath is a specific term then how do you define it? Is it more than just having high empathy?

Why can't be an empath and HSP? Did you not relate to HSP?


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## Ace Face (Nov 13, 2011)

Kazuma Ikezawa said:


> So two months ago I made a thread in order to find out if I was an empath. I got some unhelpful posts, several good posts, and posts with links with good information. The main problem was that a lot of people didn't respond to my responses to their posts. To be fair I posted my responses late. This time I will make sure to reply more quickly. I am dying to know the truth of whether I am an empath, HSP, or neither. I really think that I am an empath because I strongly identified with the links with empath characteristics that I read, which I have posted below. Also when I reflected on how I was as a child, I was an empathetic, sensitive, kind person with a strong conscience, who was deeply concerned with morality. I could go more in depth as to why I think that I am an empath, but I'll hopefully save that for a discussion with an empath or HSP that responds to this thread. Finally, this year when I went to the hospital with a lot of people there, I felt all sorts of emotions and feelings that overwhelmed me. I please ask that only Empaths and HSP's post in this thread so I can get good information and hopefully have a good discussion. I am really hoping that some empaths or HSP's could have a discussion with me to help me figure out if I am an empath, HSP, or neither
> 
> Here are some links to information on empath characteristics that I strongly relate to.
> 30 traits of an Empath (How to know if you’re an Empath) | The Mind Unleashed
> WHAT IS AN EMPATH - The Empath Way



With any label comes a descriptor, or even a list of descriptors. The only problem with this is that ANYONE can create a descriptor, or at the very least, add their own spin to it. This is especially true for labels that have little medical research to back up the claims. Unfortunately, this is very much the case with labels like HSP and empath, though HSP has actually made some headway in this arena. Some genetic research has suggested that higher levels of SPS, sensory processing sensitivity (a definitive measurement indicating HSP) are linked to the serotonin transporter 5-HTTLPR short/short genotype, polymorphisms in dopamine neurotransmitter genes, and the ADRA2b norepinephrine-related gene variant. Unfortunately, I don't personally know of any studies having been done on those who claim to be empaths, which is a real problem because anybody can throw in their own two cents on what it means to be an empath which inevitably creates confusion. You coming here asking for clarity basically proves that point to be true. 

Since there aren't really any definitive descriptors either way, and since you're the only one here that knows yourself well, only you can say if you fit the bill. Only you can say whether or not you relate to the proposed descriptors that you've found. As a general rule though, I would say that if you find yourself unable to function as well as other people seem to because of some of the symptoms described by being HSP or by being an empath, it's likely that you might be on to something. Like I said before, a lot more research needs to be done on both of these proposed phenomena, but that doesn't mean that they don't exist or that people aren't genuinely struggling because of it.


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## angelfish (Feb 17, 2011)

Kazuma Ikezawa said:


> Also, the term empath is not a loose general term; based on what I've read it is a very specific term.


That's interesting. Where have you read that? 

The word "empathy" as originally used in the English language was generated by a psychologist who studied with Wilhelm Wundt - he put the term together out of word elements borrowed from Ancient Greek: en/in + pathos/feeling. It was used as a translation of a German philosophy term that referred to the way people could "enter" the fictional/aesthetic worlds in art and literature and experience feelings/emotions as part of that experience. Empathy itself is technically an _aesthetic philosophy_ concept as much as a psychological or even spiritual one, and the original "empaths" are simply people who experience intense feeling upon engaging with world-concepts outside their selves.

If you've found a more specific definition of "empath", it's a later derivation, a borrowing or extending of this term to describe a broader concept. From what you've described, you're an empath by its original definition, and thereby its common applied sense of one who feels deeply for others. In terms of empath and HSP, it may be that you're one and not the other, but at least personally I identify as both for different reasons (empath because I mirror feelings intensely; HSP because I am very sensitive to sensory input). They do sometimes overlap (e.g. I do not like the mainstream TV news both because I absorb the negativity and because it's often loud and flashy in an "ugly" way), but they often don't. 



RyuukoGo said:


> HSP from the books,videos such as my dislike of any noise when going to sleep, a clock ticking on the other side of the house keeps me up so i remove the batteries, the inability to carry a conversation in a noisy enviroment.


Hahaha, yes, I relate!!! Recently I have gotten really into listening to gentle ASMR (though unfortunately I don't get the sensation) videos on YouTube of ambient environmental noise for sleeping, which is funny to me because I used to prefer/need complete silence for sleeping - _except_ at the holidays, when I used to fall asleep to the soft humming sounds of my parents and family and other holiday guests chatting downstairs, gathered in the kitchen or around the fire. Accordingly - I now love to fall asleep to gentle fire crackling and a little human hum in the background. But I am SO PICKY. I have only found two or three videos I like on all of YouTube, and only one I really consistently listen to. One video was so close to being just perfect, but it had a terrible ticking clock in it. So close!


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

angelfish said:


> To my understanding, this is the less common definition of the term, and its value, specific characteristics, and veracity depend greatly on one's personal beliefs.


The less common definition is the one that I'm trying to figure out if it fits me. I don't mean to argue or be rude, please please don't get upset, but I'm getting the impression that you don't really believe in the less common definition of the term. It's not solely because of what you said, but also posters in this thread and in my last empath threads didn't seem to believe in the term empath. I believe that the term has a lot of value in that it can help one to understand their essence, connect with and interpret the spiritual realm. I believe that the characteristics of this definition of empath don't depend on personal beliefs, but on objectivity. So since I believe that empath is an objective term, but includes people varied spiritual tendencies, than the veracity of the term doesn't depend on one's personal beliefs.



angelfish said:


> As for HSP, that is a formally defined (at least, by its creators) term that has a specific set of criteria that may overlap with both definitions of empath. This questionnaire is from the website of the psychologist who co-developed the term (/trait/set of traits). Whether or not the term applies to you on the whole is a matter of judging whether a _significant_ amount of the attributes listed apply to you.


Thank you so much for the link. I really appreciate it.  



angelfish said:


> In any case, I am curious as to why you feel like it is very important to you to identify whether the empath or HSP labels fit you?


It's important because I want to better understand myself. I've always been interested in personality psychology which branched into being interested in understanding my essence. Understanding the self is important to me because, in terms of the empath vs HSP issue, it would explain a lot of things that I have experienced in life. I don't want to live life not knowing my true essence, because it is one's essence which guides people to show them what they should do in life; for example the types of people who one should hang out with, what career to pursue, what your purpose in the world is.


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## Coldspot (Nov 7, 2011)

Kazuma Ikezawa said:


> It's important because I want to better understand myself. I've always been interested in personality psychology which branched into being interested in understanding my essence. Understanding the self is important to me because, in terms of the empath vs HSP issue, it would explain a lot of things that I have experienced in life. I don't want to live life not knowing my true essence, because it is one's essence which guides people to show them what they should do in life; for example the types of people who one should hang out with, what career to pursue, what your purpose in the world is.


If you don't know the essence of who you are, how is a label going to help you? A label can't tell you who you are, only you can.

I know who I am. When I meet people, I don't pay attention to physical features. What I see is who they are as a person at their core. Nothing anyone does surprises me as I understand them at a fundamental level. There likely isn't a label for this. If I find one, it will not tell me something I don't already know.

Labels are only a comfort to hide behind. You are the only one who can know the essence of your being. Do not look for a label to do it for you.


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

RyuukoGo said:


> You could be both....after years or research,tests and events that have happened in my life ..I concluded that i am an INFJ,HSP and Empath.


I think that you are either an HSP or an empath. Based on what I've read, and my own thinking, I think that an empath is a more extreme form of an HSP with other added characteristics, if you will. Also, I'm curious as to what research, tests, and events that happened in your life led you to believe that you were an HSP and an empath?


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

kittenmogu said:


> I don't see why you have reason to believe you're *not* an empath. It seems to be important to you to be sure of it by some objective criteria, but ultimately I wonder how much use it is to label yourself as such..
> 
> I do identify as an HSP to some extent (if prompted, which happens... never) because it gives a name to the precautions and experiences I have that seem to be specific. It says to me: this difference is real, and the ways in which you work with/around it are necessary and valid because it is real. I could probably say the same for identifying as an empath. Ultimately labels are meant to serve a purpose and can only describe a percentage of your human experience.


The reason why I doubt being an empath is because there is no scientific objective criteria to determine if someone is an empath. Also, I believe in doubting things until there is an overwhelming evidence to prove something. The label is of great use so I can know who I am, know my essence, and so I can better understand my life experiences, and know what to do with my life. 

I think a term such as "empath" can explain a large percentage of an empaths experiences. Empaths are highly sensitive, I believe very highly moral, and experiences mystical and paranormal experiences. This makes them stick out, and it makes it hard for them to find people that they can relate to. So the empath label is vital to helping empaths learn why the seem so different and to understand how they can flourish in life. Being highly sensitive sucks.


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## RyuukoGo (Apr 6, 2015)

I can be in my room with the TV on....my friend in the other room with the TV on and i can hear the toaster bell...even she doesn't hear it....with the old type of phones i could hear its relay click before the phone rings...when i was a kid i would talk in my sleep....my parents would comment that i am talking in my sleep....I would wake up and respond to sarcastically to them "i am not talking in my sleep"those...i service pool equipment and frequently walk into customers back yards...several times when they have had guests one will comment "there is a guy in your backyard" so i just smile and wave to them and they wonder how did i hear them through a double pane window those are HSP "quirks" I also don't have the ability to filter out noises especially in a social enviroment.

The Empath part...emotional,reading people,animals,sensing the mood of a person/room,having fun during Christmas by sensing who is naughty/nice lol

I am an oddity...I type with my left and had write with my right hand...I have taken gender tests whose results show i should have gender dysphoria but i don't...I have chatted with guys who have gender dysphoria and took the same tests they did and i am happy with in a sense both genders in my head even a doctor told me i do qualify to start HRT for gender reassignment...i am sort of a literal ying/yang.

When i was married,for 12 years,my then wife's psychiatrist and i talked a lot....i never knew why until i discovered the description "Empath"


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## blondemaiden (Jul 2, 2016)

I think one of the reasons we put these labels like "empath" and "HSP" is not only to see why we are a certain way (as @Kazuma Ikezawa pointed out very well), but as well as to be able to connect with other people who are the same way. I am an empath myself, and on the rare occasion that I get to talk to other empaths or HSP, it's an easy way to talk to people with similar experiences and to not feel so weird. It makes me feel validation for my feelings in a way. Personally, I don't think it's bad to put a "label" on it. We are what we are, and people are different in their own ways, and calling yourself an empath or HSP doesn't mean you're saying that's the _only_ thing you are.

Also, as for finding out if you're an empath or HSP, I think just doing research is what's best. Plus, you know yourself best, and if what you see is what you truly relate with, then you might just be an empath. I did research after watching a video by an empath about being one, and not only did it spark my interest, but I felt like I oddly related to it. I did a lot of research on the internet about it, and watched more videos that empaths had made about themselves, and that's how I started to really think that I was one. That's the best advice I can give: Research. Probably not a lot of help, but I hope at least that you find your answer!


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

dizzycactus said:


> These terms are descriptive, not some kind of objectively/strictly delineated yes/no matter. If you largely match the descriptions, you can describe yourself with the terms.


Really sorry for this late response, I saw your post and I wasn't sure how to respond to it, and I got caught up in responding to other posts and forgot your post.

But the problem is that not all of the traits of empaths seem to be of the same value. By that I mean by looking to see if I largely match the descriptions, I might match a lot of them, but match mainly traits which aren't the most essential ones, and thus not be an empath. Also, how do I know how many out of the total amount of traits that I have to match in order to be considered an empath. Furthermore, the descriptions of an empath only partially seem to converge on some central essence, which reinforces my point that I'm not sure that all of the descriptions of an empath have an equal value in determining if someone is an empath or not.


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

@Razorsharp
?


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## Empathia (Nov 28, 2016)

Highly Sensitive Test


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

Empathia said:


> Highly Sensitive Test


Thanks, but this test is to see if you are an HSP not to see if you are an empath. Since your name is empathia, do you know anything about empaths and do you know how I can figure out if I am an empath?


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## Empathia (Nov 28, 2016)

Kazuma Ikezawa said:


> Thanks, but this test is to see if you are an HSP not to see if you are an empath. Since your name is empathia, do you know anything about empaths and do you know how I can figure out if I am an empath?


Maybe this can help clarify the difference to better help you decide if you're an empath: Q&A Empath vs. HSP

I am an HSP and relate well to being an empath also


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## RyuukoGo (Apr 6, 2015)

Kazuma Ikezawa said:


> Thanks, but this test is to see if you are an HSP not to see if you are an empath. Since your name is empathia, do you know anything about empaths and do you know how I can figure out if I am an empath?


Do you walk into a room and sense the mood of the group?
Do you literally like being around "positive" people especially when they are doing what they enjoy?
When entering a room where people had or are having a fight does it feel like you just walked into fog?
Do people who you just met tell you a lot of personal/private information?
When you see an elderly couple sitting at a bus stop...you see the woman combing his hair...he remains almost catatonic...does it bring tears to your eyes that he has no idea the love she has for him and can't reciprocate....but she still loves him and cares for him.
Do you listen to music to change your mood?
Do you like being in nature around animals?

There are a lot or articles and tests you can take to find out if you are an Empath...I look at being an Empath the same as say being left handed....it is just an ability a lot have and nothing wrong with being right handed..in my case I type with my left and write with my right :laughing:

PS From what I have read women are empathic by nature...some more so than others....male Empaths are usually Gay and/or Effeminate...myself a bit Effeminate that i qualify for a sex change...


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

RyuukoGo said:


> Do you walk into a room and sense the mood of the group?
> Do you literally like being around "positive" people especially when they are doing what they enjoy?
> When entering a room where people had or are having a fight does it feel like you just walked into fog?
> Do people who you just met tell you a lot of personal/private information?
> ...


I'm unsure if I can sense the mood of a group when I walk, I don't really go out into groups but this might be something that I can do.
I really like being around positive people, especially when they are doing something that they enjoy.
I don't remember the last time that I entered a room where people just had a fight, so I don't know if I would feel like walking into a fog, but I might feel that way. 
Only a couple of people that I've just met have told me some private and personal information, one of these people told me a whole lot of personal information. 
I've never encountered the scenario with the elderly couple.
I listen to music to make feel deep emotions and too hopefully elicit a mystical experience, which has happened on one occasion.
I used to like nature when I was younger but not anymore. I don't really like animals.
I'm not gay but I'm a feminine man and proud of it. I think I identify with the qualities of women more than men and I think that women are better than men, mainly because women tend to be more empathetic, sensitive, and moral and have other good qualities.


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

myjazz said:


> Using outside sources such as links and saying this is how I feel isnt really expressing how you feel. I was curious as to what makes you feel such way.
> For instance I knew I was a Empath way before I read some list of if you do this or that your a Empath. I know what makes me a Empath I know why I feel such way. And you also stated you would discuss this more later, well
> it was later
> 
> try not to focus on using your Te to much on expressing how you feel...


Also, towards the beginning of this year when I was off of my medicine I would cry often. I would sometimes purposely make myself cry in order to feel better, because it was a difficult period for me. I cried when watching an emotional scene on Criminal Minds which displayed two children that were prisoners of this man that abused them. One of them escaped and was trying to help the other one escape but the other one got caught by the man. This made me sad and I cried. I also cried when thinking about female genital mutilation in Africa, not only did it make me cry but it made feel angry that people could be so cruel and made me want to punish the people that do this.

Also, when I was still on my medicine several years back, I upset my mom and made her cry. Seeing her crying because of me made me feel horrible because I saw myself in her and I felt like I had hurt her. This made me really cry.

By the way after this post, and my other post in response to you asking me what makes me feel like an empath without using outside sources, do you think that I might be an empath?


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## myjazz (Feb 17, 2010)

Kazuma Ikezawa said:


> Also, towards the beginning of this year when I was off of my medicine I would cry often. I would sometimes purposely make myself cry in order to feel better, because it was a difficult period for me. I cried when watching an emotional scene on Criminal Minds which displayed two children that were prisoners of this man that abused them. One of them escaped and was trying to help the other one escape but the other one got caught by the man. This made me sad and I cried. I also cried when thinking about female genital mutilation in Africa, not only did it make me cry but it made feel angry that people could be so cruel and made me want to punish the people that do this.
> 
> Also, when I was still on my medicine several years back, I upset my mom and made her cry. Seeing her crying because of me made me feel horrible because I saw myself in her and I felt like I had hurt her. This made me really cry.
> 
> By the way after this post, and my other post in response to you asking me what makes me feel like an empath without using outside sources, do you think that I might be an empath?


I don't think your an Empath but if you believe you are then claim it. Just like Typing I am not going to force anything on someone if they want to be "xxxx" Type then that's there choice.

Empathy and or Sympathy is common with a lot of people. 

Sorry I couldn't be much more help but it seem's like you want someone to tell you that you are. I just can't do that. Do what feels right for you in this situation not what someone else tell's you.


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## Mirkwood (Jul 16, 2014)

Sorry, every time I read thread that starts with "help me figure out if i am...", I think there is a lot of confusion?, search for being something?.. or something.
Have you spent a lot of time being concerned with others, but ending up being confused about you?, or something.

I think it would be hard to say your just pure.. pure essens of something, 100% empath...

It's like... as if.... you see bits of pieces in yourself.. and you want to put em together to call yourself one thing.. But then you get problems cause some don't fit?.
Or you don't see the forest but just single trees?.

Like colors... There are millions of colors, but we only really say Red, Blue, Green.. etc.. Dark greenish, etc. but you want to be GREEN!.. but it's confusing if looking a bit purple?.

....

About empathy and such... I saw video where they split it into two... That there is a bodily version, if someone yawns you might yawn, if someone cries you might feel sad.
And then that there is the cognitive part. - being able to kinda put yourself into someone elses shoes.

here is video.







So if you yawn alot when others do your empathetic . (This gets me thinking about people who kinda hate other people who are sad, tired, depressed etc, they might say "They want to drag me down.." Down to where?, to feel a bit sad too?. Maybe they could be said to be UNWILLING to be empathetic, but not unable).
But also, even the most patient empathetic person can get bit tired.


HSP.. as i've understood is mostly about being sensitive.. not just feeling, but also senses..
I once chatted with a person who said she were HSP, that certain lights she couldn't tolerate so well, and etc.
Tbh, i kinda rather not want to HSP. If it affected me so much that it would make it difficult for me to live.

...
Anyway, my point with what i said in beginning..
Don't be too cornered, and is hard to fit directly into a box.. majority of people are empathetic. But sometimes we also shut off some, otherwise it be hard for some situations, doctors for example maybe.









Somewhat close to empathy is also ethics, moral..
We got some values or rules we may want follow.. OR we think a lot about what is right and wrong..
Or some don't think so much and go more by feelings..
Here is a link if your interested in that.. Id lookup first.. Duty-based ethics, then Consequentialism, then Virtue ethics...
BBC - Ethics: Introduction to ethics


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

myjazz said:


> I don't think your an Empath but if you believe you are then claim it. Just like Typing I am not going to force anything on someone if they want to be "xxxx" Type then that's there choice.
> 
> Empathy and or Sympathy is common with a lot of people.
> 
> Sorry I couldn't be much more help but it seem's like you want someone to tell you that you are. I just can't do that. Do what feels right for you in this situation not what someone else tell's you.


Although, I would like to be told that I'm an empath, it would mean nothing to me if it wasn't the truth. I want the truth. Also, what did you base your conclusion that I'm not an empath on, and did you consider this last post I sent you about crying as well as my other post about crying, morality, and mystical experiences? Furthermore, how does one know if they are an empath?


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

series0 said:


> Empath is not scientific. It is more artsy and weird than it is specific. It is often used to describe people that are either extremely sensory based or extremely intuition based, but not people who are a healthy mix. They are overwhelmingly MBTI F rather than T. Enneagram 4, 6, or 2. Very rarely 9 or 7. All of these things in combination make a person that is VERY likely to describe themselves as an empath. Other combinations much less so and much less capable as an empath even if they think they are one.
> 
> The connection that binds all of life, consciousness, is something empaths can sometimes tap into. This borders the realm of telepathy and probably will one day become actual telepathy. It just makes sense.


Based on what you posted I'm getting the impression that you don't think there is a reliable way for someone to find out if they are an empath or not. Am I correct? If not, then how does one find out if they are an empath or not?


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## series0 (Feb 18, 2013)

Kazuma Ikezawa said:


> Based on what you posted I'm getting the impression that you don't think there is a reliable way for someone to find out if they are an empath or not. Am I correct? If not, then how does one find out if they are an empath or not?


The accurate approach suggests we are all somewhat empathic, but some are given to it by skill, inclination, or both. Reliable? Is that a joke? Unless you bust out into Professor X or Sense8 style obviousness, empaths and hypersensitives are just on the fringes of human capacity currently. It is more debunkable myth right now than fact. As far as I know based on modern science and anything that would be considered reliable, ... there are no empaths. This doesn't mean that some people are not rightly on the path and therefore much more empathetic than the rest of us.

What qualifies for you as empathic? How often does the empath have to be able to accurately guess even the mood of another person sitting nearby? How accurately if they are within another room and unseen?


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

Mirkwood said:


> Sorry, every time I read thread that starts with "help me figure out if i am...", I think there is a lot of confusion?, search for being something?.. or something.
> Have you spent a lot of time being concerned with others, but ending up being confused about you?, or something.


You are partially correct, I'm somewhat confused but mainly just uncertain. I'm searching for being something, trying to define myself and figure out who I am; looking for my identity. I haven't spent a lot of time being concerned with others but that is because my life experiences have led me to become very narcissistic.




Mirkwood said:


> It's like... as if.... you see bits of pieces in yourself.. and you want to put em together to call yourself one thing.. But then you get problems cause some don't fit?.
> Or you don't see the forest but just single trees?.
> 
> Like colors... There are millions of colors, but we only really say Red, Blue, Green.. etc.. Dark greenish, etc. but you want to be GREEN!.. but it's confusing if looking a bit purple?.


You have got it, somewhat. Except in your analogy I see clumps of trees, some small clumps and some large clumps but not the whole forest. Also, in your other analogy its correct that I want to see myself as one color.



Mirkwood said:


> Anyway, my point with what i said in beginning..
> Don't be too cornered, and is hard to fit directly into a box.. majority of people are empathetic. But sometimes we also shut off some, otherwise it be hard for some situations, doctors for example maybe.


Thanks for the advice about not trying to fit myself perfectly into a box.



Mirkwood said:


> Somewhat close to empathy is also ethics, moral..
> We got some values or rules we may want follow.. OR we think a lot about what is right and wrong..
> Or some don't think so much and go more by feelings..
> Here is a link if your interested in that.. Id lookup first.. Duty-based ethics, then Consequentialism, then Virtue ethics...
> BBC - Ethics: Introduction to ethics


Also, thanks for this information and this link. I find ethics interesting.


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

series0 said:


> What qualifies for you as empathic?


After learning about empaths from the 2 links on my first post, a few other websites, and this thread, I'm not sure what traits and abilities someone would have to have and display in order for me to consider them an empath.


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## myjazz (Feb 17, 2010)

@Kazuma Ikezawa

What is a Empath to you?

As usual I don't mean what does this or that say it is. But what do you feel that a Empath is?


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

myjazz said:


> @*Kazuma Ikezawa*
> 
> What is a Empath to you?
> 
> As usual I don't mean what does this or that say it is. But what do you feel that a Empath is?


Based on the information that I've gathered and my own thinking, I think that an empath is a rare individual that possesses many traits, some essential and some that are highly probable; this essential vs probable part is the confusing part about trying to define empaths. They're very sensitive, they can pick up on others emotions and feel them as there own, and they are more prone to having mystical experiences. As a result, cruelty on television, in person, or even imagined pain and suffering upsets them very deeply. I'd imagine that they feel emotions more strongly than others. I think that when an empath is feeling down or upset they feel profoundly down, and when they feel happy or content its a profound happiness or profound contentment. Assuming that they're mentally healthy, I'd imagine that they tend to be very moral people. I think that most things that they experience seem deeper than to most other people. Empaths have deep conscious's. Empaths also tend to be in touch with the universe, in terms of sensing paranormal and mystical phenomena. Perhaps some of the great moral people in history like Gandhi and Jesus were empaths.


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## TonyDexter (Dec 27, 2016)

Firstly, I have to warn you, Archtypes is not the right way to go if you are into personality theories. They are usually based on anecdotal evidence, try to appeal to people by boosting their self-esteem and distort personality traits behind them. Instead you should use the bottom-up approach (creating archtypes out of solid personality traits, and not vice versa), i.e. trying to understand personality traits.

Some of the traits you may find useful in your search for understanding (most have a wiki page): 
- *Low Latent Inhibition* trait. Again, try not to look at it as an Archtype, but see if you can understand how the trait works, and how it makes people different.
- *Absorption* (psychology). 

Both Low Latent Inhibition trait and Absorption are considered correlated parts of a more broad *Openness to Experience* (part of Big 5), which is a collection of connected traits.

Regarding Empath. You should take a look at:
*Agreeableness* (part of Big5) - like Openness to Experience, its a collection of connected traits. Sometimes it is divided into broad 2 categories: *Empathy* and *Sympathy*. Being Empath is essentially being high on both. Having low *Emotional Stability* probably contributes as well.


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## TonyDexter (Dec 27, 2016)

If you want a bit more understanding, there is this amazing scientific article written in very simple language. I cant post links, but you can find a pdf if you google "Why It Hurts to Be Left Out The Neurocognitive Overlap Between Physical and Social Pain"
You only really need 1st 5 pages, to understand the concept of social pain. But the whole article is an amazing read, and I highly recommend it.


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## Kazuma Ikezawa (Oct 21, 2011)

@myjazz

So what do you think of my answer as to what I feel that an empath is?


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