Why do I feel everything so deeply?!

[Sabrinaspellman01]

Just some late night pondering really. I just feel things really deeply, for example worry about family members/loved ones, get all upset about things that haven't even happened, feel really sorry for people I see in my every day life. It's so strange. I'm not depressed or anything like that, I know I'm probably just quite a sensitive person in general. Does anyone else get this/know what I mean? Thanks 😊

Genuine lol

Is that your only thoughts on this thread Genuine question?

Sometimes what you think is empathy is something that's triggered your feelings, not that you've felt someone else's.

I agree and I am a bit distrustful of anyone who calls themselves an “empath”. I think most of it is about themselves finding excuses to make someone else’s emotion about them and it’s pretty self indulgent.

Feeling empathy, doesn’t mean the person is saying, calling, themself an empath.That’s your perception.Each to their own, if you’re naturally distrustful of people, it then doesn’t make it self indulgent for people to be empathetic, just because you feel differently.

@Freeyourminds

if you’re naturally distrustful of people, it then doesn’t make it self indulgent for people to be empathetic, just because you feel differently.

I am not distrustful of people in general. But I am dubious of claiming to be “more sensitive” than others.

Spot on.

Torturers are often empathetic, as I learned in psychotherapy training.

Same here.
I would have thought at 62 I would ha e grown out of this by now but no, still way too sensitive for my own good!

It’s not a competition on this thread.Again that’s your perception, that people are "claiming to be more sensitive” than others.It’s called a conversation, albeit anonymously and this is what this thread is about.If people want to share their experiences, why is that self indulgence,
why would that bother you.People are saying what it means to be sensitive, just like you did.

I believe every single human being (without mental illness that precludes it) has the ability to be empathetic.

I thought it was down to genetics, or learnt behaviour.That’s interesting that you said this, so am l right or wrong, in understanding then, people can choose to be?

I'm with those who say this is the human condition surely? I share a lot of the reactions people have mentioned on here but I don't think that makes me especially empathetic, just human. Being swept away by these feelings however would be an issue, and indicate an inability to emotionally regulate. I have a friend who does this. Floods of tears because eg a fairly distant colleague's child is ill. It's teetering on emotional vampirism.

Interestingly inaccurate (and not very empathetic) interpretation of what @Thepeopleversuswork said.

I couldn't disagree more.

Just like @Thepeopleversuswork l have an opinion too.I make no apologies, for you thinking l’m not being empathic.
It’s interesting actually that you agree with said person, who thinks anyone else who feels differently to him/her is being self indulgent, which l find very dismissive, considering the subject matter of this thread.Each to their own.

Do you also feel happiness and love and fulfilment more deeply?

Feeling things deeply is a blessing as well! Lots of people are searching for these stronger feelings that you may already have.

Now I'm worrying about your children. What if someone took them while you were asleep! Just kidding. I would be the same as you

You think you should have called the police rather than just speak to the mother?!

Id say a more “empathic person” would have done that rather than called the police

I can absolutely relate to this. It wasn't a separation but life has fucked me over, and I learned the hard way that no one comes to save you, few even care much. I'm definitely more cynical than I used to be.

Spot on.

Because crying over a distant colleagues child isn’t about the child at all. It’s about them isn’t it?
youre not weeping for them - you’re weeping about “what if that happened to you”

(or you’re a drama llama who needs to make it all about you)

So if you’re a Very Sensitive Person and specially empathetic, and you see someone experiencing something awful, then presumably you feel their pain and feel terrible for them but at the same time also think that they probably don’t feel pain/loss/sadness as deeply as you would in the same situation? Is that correct? Because it seems the logical conclusion if people really believe they feel things more deeply than others.

You can learn it!

👍

To be honest I think we all are like that some show it more than others, some bottle it up, some are stoic or mindful some let it all hang out but we all feel deeply and think and worry about they same things you mention.

There's a judgement in this story which doesn't go together with empathy.