Most people get a lot of sh*t for being “sensitive”. Especially in this era, when people choose to portray themselves as strong, independent and ‘’gives zero f*cks in almost everything’’ – seriously, it’s tiring. I wish more youth would understand that revealing their emotions is not a sign of weaknesses. If anything, it’ll make you stronger. We’re human after all, we should learn how to connect to our feelings. Check out: The Art Of Loving Yourself: 4 Important Layers To Self-Love.
But the difference between being sensitive and empathic is that, while sensitive people choose to reflect primarily on a situation, an empath has the ability to understand the experiences and feelings of others outside of their own perspective. So in short, where one reacts, the other one analyzes. True, being both an empath and a sensitive person doesn’t necessarily make life easier (because we tend to soak the experience deeper), but highly empathic individuals may experience the world in vivid color, all the time. And because they don’t have a choice of when they get to flex their empathy muscles. They are permeable to emotions and experiences whether they choose to be in the moment or not.
So, how to identify if you’re an empathic person or not? Take a look at these signs.
1. You’re Connected To Your Environment
As a highly empathic person, this is one of the first few things that I’ve learned. Pay attention closely to your surroundings; when you enter a room, do you feel an energy shift? Maybe it’s beautiful, maybe it’s so-not welcoming. You may enter a space that is filled with an excitement, butterfly effect, or maybe you’re feeling sober and moody. If this happens to you, chances are, you’re incredibly receptive to a vibe that a physical space holds, and you have an intense urge to leave, ASAP, if it doesn’t align with you.
2. You’re Connected To Other People’s Feelings
When a friend is telling you a sad story, do you often reply with, ‘’Aww, I feel you’’, or do you proceed to calm them down, listen and reply with a story that could relate to your friend’s situation; and give your best advice? If you do the latter, you’re an empath, sweetie. You’d notice that most of your friends and family members would look to you for a consultation – because they feel it is easy to share with someone who’d understand them on an emotional level.
3. You Can Look Past Others’ Emotions
Which leads to another point; You can see how someone arrives at a feeling or experience without having to “put yourself in their shoes.” When in an argument or discussion with a friend, family member, or lover, you’re usually quick to understand and apologize. That is because it’s very easy for you to see how they arrived at their experience of you, where they come from, and why they react the way they do, and that makes it easier for you to get out of your own need to be right and have a genuine, well-rounded perspective.
You’d notice that most of your friends and family members would look to you for a consultation – because they feel it is easy to share with someone who’d understand them on an emotional level
4. You Love The Feeling Of Intimacy
Sometimes, falling in love is almost too much for you to handle. You’re busy feeling your own deep feelings for your other person, while also absorbing all of the love that they are feeling toward you. It’s like being in love, times two! You might tear up during tender moments, and after sexual intimacy or loving declarations. The right lover won’t care; they’ll think it’s sweet.
5. You Can Detect Bullshit From Miles Away
Again, as a highly empathic person, I feel like this feeling could be a curse or a gift. Being an empath may seem overwhelming, but just like sensitivity, it can be thought of as a power and not a weakness. You don’t need to identify ticks to know when someone is lying. You can feel their nervous energy, and you can see how they have acted around the subject in question. It’s a tricky position to be in, but can be a powerful indicator in relationships, both professional and personal.
