How to Tell If You Are Empathetic

I've always felt like one of those freaks in Minority Report. (Mind you, freaks is used not in a derogatory sense) Someone who cries when they read a sad newspaper story or watches a Hallmark commercial because they feel the suffering of others or feel the pain of the world. I do feel better now knowing I'm not the only one out there.

A lot of people don't know why they're feeling the way they do; so sensitive to others, feeling the pain of the world, crying at movies, having strangers pour out their hearts to them. Empathy is defined as one's ability to recognize, perceive and directly experientially feel the emotion of another. As the states of mind, beliefs, and desires of others are intertwined with their emotions, one with empathy for another may often be able to more effectively define another's modes of thought and mood. Empathy is often characterized as the ability to "put oneself into another's shoes", or experiencing the outlook or emotions of another being within oneself, a sort of emotional resonance.

How to tell that you're an empath? Empaths are often very loving in personality and expression, great listeners and counselors (and not just in the professional area). They will find themselves helping others and often putting their own needs aside to do so. In the same breath, they can be much the opposite. They may be quiet, withdrawn from the outside world, loners, depressed, fearful, life's daydreamers, or even narcissistic.

They are most often passionate towards nature and respect its abundant beauty. One will often find empaths enjoying the outdoors, beaches, walking, etc. Empaths may find themselves continually drawn to nature as a form of release. It is the opportune place to recapture their senses and gain a sense of peace in the hectic lives they may live. The time to get away from it all and unwind with nature becomes essential to the empath. Animals are often dear to the heart of empaths, not as a power object, but as a natural love. It is not uncommon for empaths to have more than one pet in their homes.

Empaths are sensitive to TV, videos, movies, news and broadcasts. Violence or emotional dramas depicting shocking scenes of physical or emotional pain inflicted on adults, children or animals can bring an empath easily to tears. At times, they may feel physically ill or choke back the tears. Some empaths will struggle to understand such cruelty, and will have grave difficulty in expressing themselves in the face of another's ignorance, closed-mindedness and obvious lack of compassion. They simply cannot give explanation for the suffering they feel and see

Even complete strangers find it easy to talk to empaths about the most personal things, and before they know it, they have poured out their hearts and souls without intending to do so consciously. It is as though on a sub-conscious level that person knows instinctively that empaths would listen with compassionate understanding.

There's even a test you can take online at: http://healing.about.com/library/quiz/hsp/blhspquiz.htm

By the way, I scored 100%.