Another theory: Empathy...

[Sass]

I've been thinking about the whole theory that AS people don't have empathy. Then it struck me that what most of my friends, NT or AS, are experiencing is sympathy, not empathy.

Empathy is a funny old thing, and I personally think there's an arrogance in it. It's sympathy turned inwards and processed as though it's happening to you (the general 'you'), because whoever it is can't sympathise unless they make it about themselves in some way (this obviously doesn't apply to people who actually HAVE gone through a similar experience).

It's a processing thing, good or bad, and another example of how different people are, 'spectrum' or not, in their operating systems. I'm not empathetic, it doesn't sit well with me to try on someone else's situation like I'm trying on hats, but I can be intensely sympathetic. I don't need to imagine how someone is experiencing their pain in order to want to sympathise with their situation.

Thoughts?

 

[Ereth]

The difference between empathy and sympathy (grammar lesson)

At one point in college, my drama professor went over the difference between empathy and sympathy in relation to Greek theater.

 

[Sass]

They get confused all the time, and whenever I hear the argument about empathy i get super pissed LOL

 

[Ste11aeres]

I think that people sometimes use that one word "empathy" in diverse ways.
Tony Atwood said that the original description of Aspergers described lack of empathy. He said this is sometimes misinterpreted (his word) to mean that Aspies don't care about people, but it actually means that they sometimes have trouble processing emotions, including the emotions of other people.

 

[Ste11aeres]

I actually don't tell my family about bad things that happen to me, because I know they will empathise. By which I mean, they will feel pain and upset and sorrow. I don't want them to feel those things, and at such times I don't want to have to deal with their feelings. I do tell my best friend about bad stuff that happens to me, because he will be calm, peaceful, and gently supportive.

 

[Ereth]

I think you mean to say that your family will sympathize.

 

[Ste11aeres]

I think you mean to say that your family will sympathize.

It's not that clear. They will internalize my problems and treat them as if they are their own problems.

 

[Ereth]

Ah, I understand then.

 

[rollerskate]

So by difficulty processing, is that what happens when I feel something and can't identify it for weeks or maybe never... Or when I'm oblivious to how something may make someone else feel without them directly telling me how it makes them feel or them obviously reacting to it? I'm just trying to understand this lack of empathy thing in its correct context....

 

[Thea]

I think people misunderstand aspie empathy. I can't empathise with large events like earthquakes overseas even if I know people are dying because I'm too far removed from it and I just can't engage with it. However I feel things around me very strongly, almost as if my brain's taking the empathy reserved for faraway events and applying it to the things I can empathise with.

 

[BassBus]

It is widely accepted now that there are two distinct types of empathy, conitive and affective. Cognitive is about understanding others and how we, as individuals, are affecting them. Those of us on the autistic spectrum are thought to have lower levels of cognitive empathy which is what leads us to say things that others find rude and unaccptable and go on about our own subjects for too long. We find it difficult to read others. However, autistic people are thought to have intact or higher levels of affective empathy. This means we can feel the distress in others. When something upsetting happens tomanother person we feel that. When we watch a sad film we get upset very easily.

Simon Baron Cohen explains it much more clearly in this TED talk on Youtube.

 

[I am that which I am]

Some research has suggested that AS tend to lack empathy because of mirror neurons, but it is still quite early to say anything for sure. The most conclusive studies actually say that there is a link between AS, mirror neurons, and aspies' difficulty in distinguishing emotional states in others. Which might explain why we can be a bit socially oblivious. Personally I always felt empathy was an odd thing that seemed to take longer to process and feels like I had to "find the path" to feel empathy for someone else.

 

[Ereth]

May I ask where I can read about these studies? I'd like to know more.

 

[I am that which I am]

With regards to references I tend to use pubmed to search for scientific articles, but unless you have access through a university, other research related facility, or pay for it you cannot read all of the articles.
Here are a few articles:
Reflecting on the mirror neuron system in autism: A systematic review of current theories
Empathy, social cognition and autism spectrum disorders - Revista de Neurología
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/...id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub=pubmed
Autism, Emotion Recognition and the MirrorNeuron System: The Case of Music (Free)