Quote:
Originally Posted by Harmacy
I suppose if I think about myself then an example of where I have shown a lack of cognitive empathy could be when friends don't respond to text messages (a big trigger for me). Instead of understanding that they may have many possible reasons for not responding I often react by becoming anxious and hostile towards them. Usually this is contained in my head and I've learned not to act on the feelings but even recently I decided someone hated me and that the friendship was over when they didn't respond the same day. I later found out they'd genuinely lost their phone so there was no way they could have replied.
As for feeling emotional empathy, I spend a lot of time wondering if I've hurt people's feelings and trying to look for signs of how people feel towards me. I often see anger and hostility in faces unless they are quite obviously smiling directly at me. I also have a tough time handling any kind of mean humour and have reacted with rage sometimes at even quite minor teasing that others would have probably laughed off, both when it's directed at me and others. I seem to be affected by the emotions of those around me excessively and sometimes find negative emotions hard to deal with. Even positive emotions like people praising me sometimes make me feel uncomfortable (that doesn't happen very often lately though).
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Thanks for this, I think I understand....from what I have read and from what you've said, this is how I interpret it:
Cognitive empathy is understanding or at least knowing other people have their own set of beliefs, emotions, opinions and feelings. Does it mean cognitive empathy is the ability to of becoming aware of other people's emotions and feelings without actually feeling them ourselves and just have the awareness? From this awareness we are then able to help or make that person feel better because we understand (not feel) what they are going through? Maybe not always help but at least have an awareness.
Emotional empathy is when we take on the emotion and feel it ourselves...like a mirror? Is emotional empathy seeing someone in an emotional state ---> feel it (mirror them) ourselves and take understanding from that?
I am sorry, I don't know why I am struggling to understand the difference...but I think it is important I do fully understand. I will keep reading about it until something clicks.
Can anyone comment on how close I am and where I am going wrong?