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I'll just hide behind Indie's answers as far as the empirical knowledge goes! It sounds pretty solid & well thought-out.
As far as my subjective experience... My ability to utilize it comes & goes. Mostly goes! Most of the time, I'm able to sort out what someone is feeling well enough to give really solid advice which makes me someone reliable & dependable to have around. But sometimes it's like my radar's been disconnected -- I lose my footing & completely cannot comprehend what they could possibly be going through.
I don't actually feel anything for anyone, however. Any actual knowledge of their states only comes when I try to intellectually relate to it through past experience. Have I ever been in that position? Would that bother me? Sometimes it really does. Things like not having money or dealing with bothersome people... And I give socially appropriate consolations. I can actually feel it a little bit but from a distant perspective.
But most of the time I can't actually relate to it. Extended feelings of sadness, grief, loss, resentment, altruism... None of that computes to me. I can observe & observe all I like, but that stuff just doesn't make any sense! I can't feel it, so I can't imagine it existing almost. Self-centric but that's just how it is.
But that's just my POV. I don't think I'm a psychopath, really, though I can identify with a lot of traits.
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