Do you have empathy in certain situations?

I'm a schizoid, but I have almost nonexistant empathy. My only empathy is also for animals. I'm a vegetarian and I want to save all the dogs. My friend told me she got raped in detail and I kind of zoned out. I called the ASPCA on 3 people while working as a dog groomer because of the conditions the dog was in. I could have gotten fired if they found out, but it was worth it.

awakenow wrote:Kfer - that's really how I am too. I listen because I'm supposed to, but in my head I'm already comparing what they're saying ot something that's happened to me. If possible, I end up discussing my issues and taking the focus of the conversation away from the person that's hurt. I don't care that they're upset - but I pretend I do.


Fengxian - I too have empathy for animals, to an extreme actually. I sometimes wonder if I use animals as an outlet for my emotions that are generally bottled up and hidden. I can't stand to see an animal in a negative situation. It really upsets me. However, if you put a human in the same situation, I wouldn't care. I would justify by thinking they should just change their situation. Animals win every time with me.

I feel the same way! If I see an animal getting neglected and/or beaten it disturbs me quite a bit. If I see this happening to a human. . . so what? I don't know them. They never did anything for me.

Maybe this is some sort of a trend. I think that narcissists do have empathy. I am sure there are some that don't, but like everything else in the world, narcissists come in all different forms and degrees. I think that deep down I am afraid to feel sympathy/empathy for people. Maybe it is okay for me to feel it for animals because it is less real and less threatening.

Narcissists have a lack of empathy, not a TOTAL lack of empathy. And, as I see it, narcissists don't lack empathy, but rather possess a dysfunctional brand of empathy. One which they can turn on and off it seems. I certainly can.

In my opinion, anyone who truly lacks all empathic feelings is a psychopath, not a narcissist. And, to shatter the myth, NOT ALL PSYCHOPATHS ARE NARCISSISTS. I happen to think the two disorders are mutually exclusive.