I think a lot of that has to do with the degree of the disorder in the person. I don't necessarily think that the areas of brain used to "empathize" mean that person feels empathy. I am obviously not an expert, but I would think that sympathy and empathy are the same area of the brain and what is really going on is a conscious thought process about being able to understand the situation by placing yourself in that person's shoes rather than actual empathy which, in my understanding, is the ability to feel what that person is going through along with them. I think the reason ASPD and psychopaths are incapable of feeling empathy is because somewhere along the route of that area of brain to the heart there is that lack of connection in the wiring so to speak. As my husband has struggled to explain to me, he can have that conscious thought in his head, but he can't feel it. like the I do think some people are born with empathy, but I do also agree for some it is learned. I do also think that sociopaths/psychopaths can use the fact that they can use that area of brain to better themselves in social relations even though they don't feel it.