“Empathizing is about spontaneously and naturally tuning in to the other person’s thoughts and feelings. A natural empathizer not only notices others’ feelings but also continually thinks about what the other person might be feeling, thinking, or intending.”
I’ve known for some time that I fall heavily (off the scale, perhaps?) in the empathizer camp, and it’s one of the reasons I’m drawn to marketing/communication/getting inside your head as a career. The last line hit home, as I am constantly taking inventory of the thoughts/ feelings of the people around me. I think it’s one of the reasons I find it hard to be extremely close to many friends at once, because it takes so much energy to constantly monitor their mood. Perhaps I should make an effort to tone down the temperature-taking to increase my social circle…
From the book Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters by Alan Miller and Satoshi Kanazawa – thanks to Ben Casnocha for the highlights
