Empathy is a quality of the heart and mind that enables us to feel deeply into the emotional, mental, and physical state of another human being. An empathic individual is capable of putting himself in another person's place and of deeply caring about him. Empathy is a special attunement to the unique experience of another person. With empathy comes compassion and respect for someone other than oneself. An empathic individual understands and embraces what the other person is experiencing even though this has not been his life experience.

The roots of empathy begin in early childhood with loving parents who are sensitive and responsive to the needs of their child. The child experiences how uniquely and deeply his parent(s) are capable of understanding how he feels. As the child develops, he internalizes the love and care with which he was treated. Parents teach their children by their example and directly that being attuned to the feelings of others is a valued characterlogical trait, an essential part of being a compassionate human being. There are some individuals who were treated abusively or neglected as children who are empathic adults. In some cases the child had a close relative---a grandparent, aunt, uncle, family friend, a teacher who was empathic. From these special individuals the child develops the capacity for empathy.

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....and not even acknowledge it to himself! Why? Because he's off charming the socks off of new women as if your years together didn't even exist!

The narcissistic ex continually acts in abusive, bewildering and confusing ways. He is not above committing destructive acts. When the breakup becomes a reality, it is likely that his 'false persona' will completely disappear all together and you will most likely experience the most hurtful of behavior from him. He is completely lacking in empathy, and - since he is not receiving any admiration from you anymore - he will dismiss you and discard you as worthless to him, consequently dropping any fake front that he use to put up in order to keep you in the relationship. Click here to read 'Breaking Up With a Narcissist' by Tigress Luv

"On the surface, the empathy of the narcissist seems to be genuine...Pseudo-empathy is exquisitely designed by the narcissist to manipulate others so they will fulfill his narcissistic needs."

The narcissist puts on an impeccably convincing performance, fooling many people. He is a masterful actor. People want to believe that the narcissist really cares about them, especially when he/she turns on the magnetic charm and fixates all of his attention on you. There is always a reason why a narcissist extends himself to someone else. He is expecting you to fulfill his narcissistic supplies for admiration, business connections, money, the company of an attractive man or woman, social status.

When a narcissist is turning on the pseudo empathy at full speed, remember that you are in charge:

1. Insist that the narcissist respect your personal psychological boundaries

2. Tune into your well honed intuition that will override the narcissist's clever manipulations

3. Empower yourself as a unique human being of value and integrity

4. Be grateful---you have the capacity for empathy, a gift that makes us fully human.

AUTHOR CREDIT

Linda Martinez-Lewi holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is a licensed marriage family therapist. She has extensive clinical training in narcissistic and borderline disorders. Dr. Linda Martinez-Lewi is the author of the book "Freeing Yourself From the Narcissist in Your Life."

Dr. Martinez-Lewi has worked for many years with patients experiencing psychological problems as a result of personal and professional relationships with narcissistic personality disorders. She has clinical experience treating patients suffering from childhood trauma, anxiety disorders, and depression.

Dr. Martinez-Lewi has been interviewed on numerous radio talk shows throughout the country.

Visit her website at: http://www.thenarcissistinyourlife.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Martinez-Lewi_Ph.D.

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