Empathy

Empathy: the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings (such as sadness or happiness) that are being experienced by another sapient or semi-sapient being.
Ahh, but empathy has many different meanings. I always thought it was having compassion for someone else but that is only a fraction of what the word can actually mean. Here are some others: The capacity to know emotionally what another is feeling; The ability to understand and share the feelings of another; Knowing another persons internal state, including thoughts and feelings; adopting the posture or matching the neural responses of an observed other; Imagining how another is feeling; Feeling distress at witnessing another person's suffering.
Depending one which definition one uses....I have no empathy in that I am clueless as to what another is feeling or thinking...Absolutely Clueless. I couldn't even begin to guess what another is thinking or feeling. I completely lack empathy in that regard.
The only part of the definition that I do fully comprehend is the last one: feeling distress at witnessing another person's suffering. I have that to a tremendous degree. I no longer watch any reality television shows because I feel so bad when one person is putting down or teasing another, being picked on. I rarely read the paper for the same reason. I feel sadness when I read about a fire,or loss of a loved one. I even give up watching the news on television because sometimes it pains me so.
I think that I empathize with others who are going through an experience that I have gone through myself. I feel greatly for those living in poverty, for people who have been or are being abused. I understand grief and loss and parents of children with disabilities. I get what its like to be a mother and have concerns for their children. I empathize with other Aspies because I know the struggle and hardship. I comprehend those who are depressed and in pain.
Empathy is trying on someone elses shoes....Sympathy is wearing them
So what do I say when someone asks me if I am empathic? Ummm, no and yes.
The English language is so very confusing at times.
I have always considered myself compassionate.and for the most part, I think I had compassion and empathy mixed up...maybe..I think...not sure on this one.
If I had to answer the question, if I had empathy...I would have to say...I Don't Know.