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Do you think you're capable to read people's face or reaction?

Zoey
1 month ago

Hi all,


I'm new to this community and excited reading many stories in the community.

Recently I've been reading several articles about 'double empathy problems' and I've learnt about 'emotional empathy' which autistic people tend to be good at, that we can feel the same as other people (highly empathetic). But autistic people are not good at 'cognitive empathy' (the famous 'theory of mind' thing), where we're bad at cognitively prospecting people's emotions or thoughts.

I feel that this describes me exactly. I think I'm very empathetic (or sympathetic). I cry when I watch films or even trailers. I think I can tell when people get angry or uncomfortable when I'm with them (but I don't know why, but I can't do that with text only or voice only communication. I think I need face and body language to feel it). But I don't know at all how to fix it or approach it for them.

Now I'm curious about other people's experiences with this. I read several community chats here about empathy and what I thought was there're both people (who think themselves highly empathetic or not at all). 
Do you have any thoughts or stories?


Thank you.

Parents
  • 1 month ago

    Hiya

    Have just listened in to a podcast that discusses the philosophy of Stoicism which claims to be a guide for better life.  I guess that to some extent I as others come to this form of discussion to find a way towards a better life.  Seems that stoicism separates emotional response and rational response.  The answers that have been put forward and your initial statement seems to differentiate in these same terms.  Stoics seem to be keen on aligning their emotions to reality.  If the question is getting at is do autistic people struggle with cognitive empathy (which is about combining insight of emotions and our own internal judgments (rationality)) then it seems that many responses suggest autistic people don't uniformly have problems with this.  From personal experience I'd suggest that problems I have with knowing how to fix or approach people when they get angry or uncomfortable it's more likely to happen when their issues correlate with complex trauma or personality problems that I have - maybe these have correlations with why I am diagnosed and "am" autistic but... I am autistic and so far don't think I either want to or can change that.  Resolving complex trauma and personality issues well, maybe that is possible - and maybe that is a way towards finding a better life?

Reply
  • 1 month ago

    Hiya

    Have just listened in to a podcast that discusses the philosophy of Stoicism which claims to be a guide for better life.  I guess that to some extent I as others come to this form of discussion to find a way towards a better life.  Seems that stoicism separates emotional response and rational response.  The answers that have been put forward and your initial statement seems to differentiate in these same terms.  Stoics seem to be keen on aligning their emotions to reality.  If the question is getting at is do autistic people struggle with cognitive empathy (which is about combining insight of emotions and our own internal judgments (rationality)) then it seems that many responses suggest autistic people don't uniformly have problems with this.  From personal experience I'd suggest that problems I have with knowing how to fix or approach people when they get angry or uncomfortable it's more likely to happen when their issues correlate with complex trauma or personality problems that I have - maybe these have correlations with why I am diagnosed and "am" autistic but... I am autistic and so far don't think I either want to or can change that.  Resolving complex trauma and personality issues well, maybe that is possible - and maybe that is a way towards finding a better life?

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