• bus_factor@lemmy.world
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    13 hours ago

    Is empath some sort of dogwhistle? The only time I’ve seen the phrase “I’m an empath” was in between conservative misinformation on Facebook.

    • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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      5 hours ago

      I associate it deeply with BPD style emotional abuse. Everyone who’s done that form of abuse to me has called themselves an empath. But inevitably, nope, it’s just hypervigilance and projection and don’t I dare correct them on how I’m feeling.

      Incidentally I have a cptsd response where I often mask discomfort and fear so it’s especially things like me saying “no” and “I don’t want that” that get disbelieved by these “empaths”

    • Denjin@feddit.uk
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      7 hours ago

      What they think it means: I have empathy with the struggles of others and can put myself in their shoes to try and understand them.

      What it actually means: I’m an insufferable arse who refuses to acknowledge or respect another person’s point of view.

    • mojofrododojo@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      I’ve seen it with some crystal-healers and alt woo woo types.

      I think they mean well… shrug

      they seem much much less judgemental and hung up on dogma than the “bless your heart” and “I’ll pray for you” types.

      YMMV

    • Nangijala@feddit.dk
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      11 hours ago

      Your algorithms must be very different than mine, because I have only seen this type of shit being uttered by bored women who are either stay at home or into the spiritual bs like basing their life decisions on zodiac signs or taking every personality test online and taking their results way too seriously. Have also seen it uttered by manipulative new age men who want puss, but mostly its something that goes on in those very stereotypical woman spaces where you’re either a sex and the city-woman or a new age hippie/influencer type.

      It’s a very specific segment of the female population and weirdly enough, they can be anything from super left wing to super right wing to completely apolitical. The vibe is the same across the board, though, and it always gives me the ick when I run into people who have this über performative personality.

      I had zodiacs entirely ruined for me because of these types of women. Used to think it was a bit stupid fun to read horoscopes and shit, until I ran into a few people irl who talked like this: “that’s so Leo of me. I can only talk to X because they are a Virgo and my sun is setting over my moon blah blah blah” and they were 100% serious. Those people will also walk around talking about being empaths without a hint of humor, and everytime I hear someone talk like that I remove myself from their orbit immediately.