Do the narcists have empathy and if so, in what form?

Many people ask: Do the narcists have empathy and if so, in what form? To answer, we need to understand the difference between two major kinds of empathy - emotional empathy and cognitive empathy.

What is emotional empathy?

Emotional empathy is the ability to feel automatically what someone else is experiencing without any conscious effort. For example, if someone experiences sudden pain, you can feel that pain emotionally and react to it. Such empathy creates a kind of bond and compassion, but with narcissists it is often lacking.

What is cognitive empathy?

Conscientious empathy, on the other hand, is a more controlled ability that involves understanding the other person's feelings without experiencing them. This empathy is like an act: you know the situation requires a compassionate answer, but you don't really feel it. A narcissist may use cognitive empathy to gain approval or manipulate the situation in his favor, creating an illusion of proximity.

Can narcists Develop Emotional Empathy?

Although rare, some narcists may begin developing a form of emotional empathy, but this requires great commitment and a long process. In most cases, conditions for developing such empathy include:

• The involvement in therapy.
• A relationship with a person who is harmless and less powerful.
• A situation similar to a painful past that the narcissist himself has experienced.

Narcists and Animal Relations

Interestingly, some narcists can develop an emotional empathy for their animals. But that also depends on some factors: The animal must be obedient, loving, and dependent on the narcist.

Narcists often form emotional ties with animals they view as harmless and subjective, but there are times when they can treat animals the way humans do by rewarding them when they behave and punish them when they disobey.

Narcists usually do not have emotional empathy, but they can use cognitive empathy to create illusions of compassion.

In rare cases with therapeutic support, they may develop some sort of emotional empathy, but this requires commitment and fulfillment of particular conditions, Annabel quoted.

In dealing with them, it is important to understand this distinction to avoid emotional injuries and to protect yourself in relation to their behavior. /Telegraphy/