Perks of being an empath.

Written by Maddie Rosier https://medium.com/@maddierosier

As empaths, we have a heightened awareness towards the emotions of others. So much so, that we often take onboard their emotions as if they were our own.

As a fellow empath, I often think the negatives far outweigh the positives. We don’t just feel our own pain and sadness, but the pain and sadness of others. We are often told we are ‘too sensitive’. We’re exhausted from taking on the energy from others, our heart filling to the brink of explosion. Even watching a negative news story can drain us for days after. It can be both mentally and emotionally exhausting.

But being an empath is not something we can change, and so we must be grateful for this personality trait and the many benefits that come with it.

It’s hard for people to manipulate us.

We are so in-tune with how people act, talk, move and feel that we are highly alert to their true intentions. We can easily pick up even the most subtle hints of deception. This means we are more likely to know when someone is lying to us or manipulating us, simply based off the way they make us feel. Our empathy is a built in bullshit-radar and this is a significant perk.

We can read a room.

Because we are alert to not only our own emotions but those of everyone around us, we can sense the vibe in a room almost immediately. It will often be up to us to diffuse a situation and be the peacemaker, because we are equipped to know exactly where to tread, and avoid the emotional landmines.

Similarly, we can almost always tell how someone feels about us, simply by absoring the way they respond to our words and our actions. Do you ever get the feeing that someone isn’t vibing your conversation? Where you know you should taper off, and move on elsewhere? Lots of people don’t have this ability and aren’t able to read someone’s emotions and reactions effectively. This is a great skill to have for making friends, going on dates and nailing job interviews.

We know how someone effects our energy.

Being conscious of the way a particular person makes us feel is beneficial for so many reasons. Those who make us feel happy, warm, motivated and loved are the ones we need to stick to and surround ourselves with. Anyone who leaves us feeling zapped, sad, inferior or angry are the ones we need to part ways with, or at least reduce time with as much as possible. We need to protect our energy, and being an empath provides us with the ability to spot the energy fairies and the energy vampires.

We are naturally creative.

Empaths have the ability to see the world very vividly, and often quite differently from others. We are also intuitive and crave a release through creativity. Whether it’s through music, writing, painting, acting, we have an urge to constantly build and create.

We like to help people.

As we absorb the energy around us, we want the world to be a happier, brighter place. We are also more likely to offer our time and words of wisdom to those we feel or sense are sad or struggling, because we can feel their emotions on another level.

We are also much more aware of how our family, friends and colleagues are feeling at any given time, without a single word being spoken. We are often the ones who will pull someone aside to ask them if they’re okay, and provide them with the support they may not know they needed.

We may feel their pain, but we also feel their love.

Have you ever found yourself sobbing at a happy scene in a movie? Or have you felt the tears flow steadily after watching a video of puppies being adopted, soldiers returning from home, or people being told that they’re about to become grandparents? Yes, we may feel other people’s pain, and it can be draining and depressing. But we are also fortunate enough to feel their moments of love and happiness, as if they were our own.

Final thoughts.

Being an empath can be a wonderful thing. We can help the world to be a brighter, more positive place because we are full of compassion and creativity. We can help people overcome their sadness, anger and fears. The ability to feel other people’s emotions is a really special thing (a superpower, if you will) and we should be proud.