Yeah but who cares?

[ChimneySweep]

I've just been reading an article about a new book, "Zero Degrees of Empathy" written by Cambridge University psychology professor and autism researcher, Simon Baron-Cohen. He talks about how psychopaths and people with autism share an absense of empathy: that is the ability to identify feelings in another person and to have a personal emotional response to those feelings. He's devised an "Empathy Quotient Test", which is not a formal diagnostic tool for personality or neurological disorders but just one indicator. There's some interesting findings in his research, for example that 80% of people score below 30 and that taking testosterone can lower scores. Here's the link to the test:

Empathy Quotient

So this is sheer curiousity on my part. Did your score accurately reflect how empathetic you think you are? Do you think it matters if you have scored low, or that there are even possible advantages to having low empathy?

[Sigma_Tau_Theta]

So this is sheer curiousity on my part. Did your score accurately reflect how empathetic you think you are? Do you think it matters if you have scored low, or that there are even possible advantages to having low empathy?

Here's the scale:

0 - 32 = low (most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score about 20)
33 - 52 = average (most women score about 47 and most men score about 42)
53 - 63 is above average
64 - 80 is very high
80 is maximum



21....works for me.....I really don't care that much about other people. For example, I saw parts of a documentary about the Holocaust, they talking about the crematoriums, my main thought, it would be very inefficient to burn people. They also showed this guy who was skin and bones, main thought, good way to see the interaction between the muscles and skeleton. Not that I did not know the appropriate emotional reaction, or how to feel about it. Maybe a tiny tiny part did react in the "appropriate" way and I just don't care that much.

Favorite question: 27. If I say something that someone else is offended by, I think that that's their problem, not mine.

Got a good laugh out of that question.

[crimethinker]

I find the comparison between sociopathy and autism pretty insulting, having been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome myself. I care very deeply for others (whether human or non-human), I'm just an outsider to society and don't know how to interact with people. That doesn't make me a sociopath.

[pbxilixdq]

I find the comparison between sociopathy and autism pretty insulting, having been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome myself. I care very deeply for others (whether human or non-human), I'm just an outsider to society and don't know how to interact with people. That doesn't make me a sociopath.

Psychologists get their labels wrong all the time. They often get it wrong many times before they get it right (if they ever get it right). There are many things that look like Asperger's but are actually something else, so I wouldn't be too attached to that label unless you think it's 100% true. How long have you been diagnosed if you don't mind me asking.

During my time in the mental health system I was called many things and no one could ever stick with the same story.

Some people are just different. They just don't see things like most other people.

[Sigma_Tau_Theta]

I find the comparison between sociopathy and autism pretty insulting, having been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome myself. I care very deeply for others (whether human or non-human), I'm just an outsider to society and don't know how to interact with people. That doesn't make me a sociopath.

I haven't been labeled with anything, I simply don't care. As for the social interaction, I just work my way through enough to get by, otherwise, their a bother.

[pbxilixdq]

I haven't been labeled with anything, I simply don't care. As for the social interaction, I just work my way through enough to get by, otherwise, their a bother.

In my experience a psychologist would very likely misunderstand you.

Apparently you're not allowed to just be different. If you're not similar to everyone else then they HAVE to find some BS label to attach to you. Because once they have a label, then they can start making money through prescriptions.

I hate the mental health system I ought to start a thread one of these days.. (it's a wonder I'm going to college to be a psychologist.)

[crimethinker]

Psychologists get their labels wrong all the time. They often get it wrong many times before they get it right (if they ever get it right). There are many things that look like Asperger's but are actually something else, so I wouldn't be too attached to that label unless you think it's 100% true. How long have you been diagnosed if you don't mind me asking.

During my time in the mental health system I was called many things and no one could ever stick with the same story.

Some people are just different. They just don't see things like most other people.

I'm not attached to such labels. I use them descriptively. Since most of the symptoms of AS seem to apply to me, I describe myself as such. I was diagnosed four years ago, during a more serious depressive episode.

[Sigma_Tau_Theta]

Apparently you're not allowed to just be different. If you're not similar to everyone else then they HAVE to find some BS label to attach to you. Because once they have a label, then they can start making money through prescriptions.

I am open to the idea that its not all labels and in some of it is true ailments and that the labels are misused and abused.

I hate the mental health system I ought to start a thread one of these days.. (it's a wonder I'm going to college to be a psychologist.)

Maybe there is some self-loathing in your subconscious or maybe your mother is psychologist and its the Oedipus Complex at work

[pbxilixdq]

I'm not attached to such labels. I use them descriptively. Since most of the symptoms of AS seem to apply to me, I describe myself as such. I was diagnosed four years ago, during a more serious depressive episode.

I'm glad you can separate yourself from all the symptoms the disorder is "supposed to have".

My only word of caution would be to realize most symptoms have many answers. It may not be helpful to you if you're viewing one of your symptoms as being caused by AS when in fact it was being caused by something else. It's always good to be open minded to possibilities.

[pbxilixdq]

I am open to the idea that its not all labels and in some of it is true ailments and that the labels are misused and abused.

Many times it's situational. If your life sucks.. it may really just SUCK. If your life sucks and you get labeled "depressed" that can put a damper on the fact that your life can change. What a shame it would be if someone could move out of a bad relationship and become happy instead of remaining in the same sucky lifestyle eating pills to ease the pain.

Many times it's a cognitive choice. Depression for instance isn't totally void of life. There are deep meaningful depressed lives that have been lived. Depressed people make the best poets.

Sometimes it is a chemical imbalance. But I think way way too many people are being diagnosed when the situation is truly natural and needs no remedy.

Maybe there is some self-loathing in your subconscious or maybe your mother is psychologist and its the Oedipus Complex at work

Haha.. I actually love Freud.. I think he was a little loopy with the ideas but the concept that there are subconscious forces at work that can manifest in different ways consciously is a pretty useful thing to know.

[grandpa]

Many times it's situational.
If your life sucks..

My life does suck in many ways, and I'm annoyed by people assuming it's always my fault. There were situations where I could not possibly have done things differently (basically). But no, I must just be depressed or something.... So I agree with this point.

Grandpa h.

[ChimneySweep]

Sigma Tau Theta

:Here's the scale:

0 - 32 = low (most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score about 20)
33 - 52 = average (most women score about 47 and most men score about 42)
53 - 63 is above average
64 - 80 is very high
80 is maximum

Thank you for posting that. My original post should have read: "80 per cent of people with autism score below 30." I was posting in the middle of the night..Either that or I'm just care-less.

I scored higher than you, and the Holocaust example gave me a good insight as to why; I have a totally different, much more emotion-based reaction to seeing people in that situation.I'm not sure that this translates into the ability/courage to do something about it. I've been in several situations where I felt empathy but did not act on it. Hence, a fairly useless if not outright hypocritical, reaction practically speaking.

Crimethinker:

I find the comparison between sociopathy and autism pretty insulting, having been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome myself. I care very deeply for others (whether human or non-human), I'm just an outsider to society and don't know how to interact with people. That doesn't make me a sociopath.

Just so. There was strong reaction to the book because of that connection. In the article he said that he could have written two separate books, one about empathy in psychopaths and another on empathy in autism but that was dodging the issue: "Somehow if it's the very same brain circuit functioning in slightly different ways in each group, they need to be looked at side by side." Interestingly, the journalist who wrote the article himself scored 27 and it was the connection with psychopaths that most worried him about his score. In response the researcher told the journalist that "cruelty might require low empathy, but low empathy doesn't necessarily lead to cruelty."

pbxilixdg:

Some people are just different. They just don't see things like most other people.

Which not only makes life more interesting but ensures our survival. That's why I asked if anyone thought there might be advantages to low empathy. For example if you have low empathy are you also likely to be less gullible?

I hate the mental health system I ought to start a thread one of these days.. (it's a wonder I'm going to college to be a psychologist.)

The most effective place to change it is probably from within.

Maybe there is some self-loathing in your subconscious or maybe your mother is psychologist and its the Oedipus Complex at work

Or what he said, lol.

If your life sucks and you get labeled "depressed" that can put a damper on the fact that your life can change

As with your example of a poet, it depends how you regard it. There's an interesting take on this in a book called "Listening to Depression" by Lana Honos-Webb PhD. It basically explores the idea that depression is a way of your body and mind telling you what parts of your life aren't working for you and the "space" or retreat that is common in depression can be used to re-evaluate and improve your life. It's aimed at people with low-level, chronic depression rather than severe depression.

Grandpa: My life does suck in many ways, and I'm annoyed by people assuming it's always my fault. There were situations where I could not possibly have done things differently (basically). But no, I must just be depressed or something.... So I agree with this point.

Granted. A lot of people have prejudices they're not really aware of, to do with financial status, job position etc and they use them to pigeonhole other people to make themselves feel safe. Even admitting to depression means that other people may see you in that light only. I was recently visited by a (wealthier) family member who could not understand why there were unrepaired items and vehicles on the property. To him this was just a waste of money or laziness. He doesn't have to budget as I do, and so saw other reasons for inaction.