Being an empath is neither as complicated, nor as tragic, as most misguided posts will have you believe.
Contrarily, empathy is a quality that every average person possesses. We’ve experienced it. Just as we share physical space with the people in our immediate vicinity, we also share emotional space.
Our innate social drive has evolved us to share other people’s emotions. We were able to build societies and function more effectively as a whole than as individuals.
It has come to my attention that there are a few misconceptions regarding empaths that are totally incorrect!
A widespread myth is that empathy is a superpower.
Most articles—including some of ours—describe the renowned Empath as having an exceptionally high threshold for energy and emotion. On the other hand, to varying degrees, we can all perceive energy and emotions.
As one’s level of self-awareness grows, so does their capacity for empathy. These nuances become more apparent to us as we develop spiritually and progress in our lives.
This is a simple yet monumental step, but many people find it confusing because they aren’t prepared for it.
For instance, there are many who believe that showing empathy can make you emotionally unstable.
They say this is because being around people’s extreme emotions makes you very vulnerable to their influence. This is not supported by reality.
It’s the same as claiming that your muscles become more flimsy when you lift more weights at the gym. Even when your emotions are running high, practicing empathy can help you remain calm and collected. That increased emotional load actually strengthens the emotional muscle.
Even when these so-called empaths are just starting out, they manage to harness the power of rapid change to fuel their imagination. The vast majority of creative types, as you may have observed, have an overactive “feel” for the environment.
Another myth is that empaths must withdraw and cease caring because they are too vulnerable.
Having empathy is like opening and maintaining a door to your mind. Once you’ve seen the light, you’ll never want to close the door behind you.
Even though it might be difficult to keep going when we’re feeling overwhelmed, there are many things that we do anyway. Spiritual progress increases an individual’s capacity for empathy; it’s neither a quirk nor a toggle that one can toggle at will.
Similar to how you didn’t back out of learning your language because it could make you more susceptible to verbal abuse, developing your empathy can do the same. The ability to read people’s emotions in their words improves in direct proportion to one’s level of empathy.
Another well-known myth about empaths is that they become dependent on the people they draw from.
This is so far from the truth!
Initially, when they’re in the presence of other empaths, they tend to give more than they take. There is a positive energy exchange rather than a negative one in the relationship.
Furthermore, empaths aren’t dependent on other people to feel what they need; in fact, they don’t even require them. All they really do is feel things more intensely. Having a keen sense of smell does not make you reliant on olfactory cues.
Another popular myth is that empaths need to isolate themselves emotionally so they can keep their energy levels up.
A heightened emotional intelligence could benefit from setting some clear limits, but that is by no means required.
That doesn’t mean someone is taking advantage of you. When you set clear limits on your lifestyle, the majority of the people you hang out with will understand that you simply want their company. You shouldn’t feel the need to isolate yourself, because your friends will remain by your side.
After all, empathy is all about connections and bridges, not walls between people.
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