Are You an Empath?
Empathy is both a skill and a genetic pre-disposition. One’s level of empathy is perhaps best represented in a spectrum and can change with age, education and other circumstances.
Take the Quiz...
How many of these questions do you answer yes to?
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Have you ever been sent into a kind of reverie by music, art, poetry or natural beauty?
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When a loved one is “in a mood” do you know immediately and without verbal mention?
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Do you often derive pleasure from very specific details that could be called “oddly satisfying?”
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Do you seem to be more sensitive to temperature than others?
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Do you ever get the sense that something is just off, but you can’t put your finger on it?
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Do you notice things about people that others tend to miss?
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Can you sense the energy of rooms?
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When you see someone get hurt, even on TV, does it make you flinch?
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Do the colors and lighting in your environment affect your mood more than others seem to be affected by such things?
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Do you just know that a person is good for you or bad for you without much evidence either way?
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Would you say that you have a rich inner world?
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Are you quick to “catch feelings?”
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Does your sense of smell often bring visceral memories to you?
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Have you been told that you “have an excellent eye?”
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Have you been accused of being dramatic over overly emotional?
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Do animals seem to be drawn to you?
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Do people seek you out to share beautiful things because they know you appreciate what’s gorgeous?
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Are you sometimes reluctant to attend parties and other gatherings because socializing takes so much energy?
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Do you seem to be more sensitive to pain than other people?
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Do you have a discerning palate?
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Do you find it extremely difficult to watch violent or frightening entertainment?
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Have you been told that you “calm people down,” or “bring a good energy” to people?
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Does even the slightest confrontation or conflict put you in fight or flight mode?
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Do you sometimes avoid people for no apparent reason?
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Do wounded people seem drawn to you?
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Do you tend to create super-comfortable environments around you?
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Do you sometimes wish you could turn down the volume of general life?
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Do you get the jokes before other people or find humor in situations that other people miss?
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Do you have favorite things that bring you comfort for their tactile qualities (such as a cozy blanket or a soft t-shirt)?
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Do you have a vivid imagination?
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Do you enjoy reading?
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Do total strangers sometimes tell you their problems?
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Would you say that you read people better than most?
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Have you ever had a psychic dream or an idea that seemed to pop into your head from nowhere that affected your life in unexplainable ways?
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Have you ever slept near a person and had a similar dream to theirs?
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Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed in a crowd?
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Do you seem to love or hate with more intensity than others?
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Have you ever had a tendency to fidget in a way that gets to be slightly harmful to you, such as hair pulling, biting nails, messing with cuticles, etc.?
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Do you find certain patterns in nature or design unreasonably disturbing?
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Do you sometimes know things without knowing how you know them?
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Are you seemingly endlessly creative?
So how many did you answer “yes” to?
1-20
While you have empathy and a caring heart, you may feel more defined by other drives and talents. Because you’re well-suited to maintaining your own energy and direction in typical life situations, you often help others through your leadership. You may be intrigued by a path of personal growth that includes exploring your creativity, and honing interpersonal skills through conscious emotional and spiritual exploration.
21-30
You have a foot in each world – the world of practical cause-and-effect and the world of unexplained poetry and magic. You can relate to a wide array of people and it is possible for you to empathize without getting overly involved in emotional nuance and complication. While your personal growth may involve deepening your emotional and spiritual experience, this is most often accomplished through physical, tactile and goal-oriented pursuits that do not on the surface seem to have much to do with the spiritual or emotional realms.
31-41
You’re an Empath. Embrace the gift inside this. While the highs and lows of life are more extreme to you, the wonderful and the painful aspects of being an Empath can be balanced with work and awareness. Yes, your way can be harder emotionally, but most Empaths would agree that your heightened creativity and the vivid way you experience life are a fair trade for the cost of the gift.