Is empathy more of a curse or a blessing?

Question

Do you think empathy is more of a curse or a blessing? why?

Answer 1

a blessing because it makes others feel cared but a curse to me because I care so much that I no longer care about myself.

Answer 2

Empathy is recognizing and understanding what emotions other people are experiencing.  By definition.

This is a way of gaining information about the world around you, and I would say that any way of gaining information is good. What you DO with this information may be good or evil - some people are empathetic enough to find the emotionally weak and take advantage of them, and some people are empathetic enough to influence and inspire others to the benefit of all.

Some empathetic people not only KNOW what others are feeling, they FEEL a share of it themselves (a.k.a. sympathy).  Such people obviously have a good reason to spread good feeling around... or at least absent themselves from negative feeling.  I think it is these folks who tend to give the concept of empathy its disproportionately good name.

I tend, however, to disagree that empathy MUST cause this reaction.

After all, who hasn't acted rashly at some point in their lives?  Isn't it just as (or more) natural to lash out at people who cause you pain instead of trying to sooth it?  Or likewise to manipulate everyone around you into THINKING they're doing better than they are for your own benefit?  In such ways empathy can easily be a curse to society as well as a benefit.

Empathy, therefore, can be a strength or a weakness.  I think it is best thought of as another sense (or at least a refinement of existing ones), with all that senses normally entail.  Sight is useful, but I wouldn't say that the blind are CURSED.  Would you?

Answer 3

A blessing--it will make you a better person;  just don't expect your reward in this system of things.

Answer 4

It is a blessing. It touches our sensitivity and our need for sharing.  It can become a curse only when we don't know our limits, when we finally make the other person's problem our own.  By this, not only we cannot be of any help to anybody, but we suffer about things that are not really ours.  Empathy is getting the feeling and be in position to offer the best of help to another human who, due to emotional stress, cannot help themselves.

Answer 5

Blessing. especially for me, personally, because i wanna be an actress, and you need to have empathy and to be able to relate to people in order to be good at acting.

Answer 6

is a shovel a tool, or a weapon? What use you make of a capcity determines what is is at that moment.

Answer 7

Empathy together with the ability to think and love is what makes you human. Now, to answer your question ... for me, it's a blessing I'm human.  What is it for you?

Answer 8

it can be both its one of those two edged swords. it can help you then again it can harm you as well i personly think it is more of a blessing but still a curse because i am  extremely kind and have a lot of both sympathy and empathy.

Answer 9

Empathy shows me that I am not the center of the universe.

Reality is only true, it is neither a curse or a blessing.

Answer 10

My dear Kel....

It's most definately ... a blessing !!! Why would you even think of it being.."a curse"???? It's always such a rewarding feeling deep inside, when you show compassion to another individual...-when you can put yourself into the other person's position/situation & you know how he/she feels!!! That spontaneously reminds me to the old indian saying which goes like this : " You have to wals 40 days & 40 nights in my Moccassins to KNOW....HOW ... I ... FEEL"!!!!

I am proud to proclaim that I have an "over-amount" of compassion & empathy for "other's" & it's quite an rewarding feeling inside !!!

Wish you all the best for the future (with an healthy amount of empathy towards your fellow-(wo)man....Greetings from Germany....Annette***