Empathy quotient

[Nograts]

I'm starting to make some connections. .. by show of hands how many of you have been immunized?

 

[Mixolydian]

:whiste:

I didn't say I was an exception.

 

[destrekor]

You ever work in IT or in a position where people get to ask you questions day in and day out?

I find I can generally hate mankind but still, when I allow myself, generally be socially correct, though I tend to be somewhat shy, a nature of my more introverted-leaning ways... I have close friends but not a wide group, and I generally keep close to people I know and cut out the rest when out in public.

I can easily not care about people, but still, when I focus on the people I do choose to surround myself with, I can read the social vibes and emotions.

I scored a 47 on the test. I think I overestimated on some questions, but there were questions I underestimated. The ones that really got close to the "I hate people so... fuck off" type I tried to focus my answer based solely around the times I break out of my shell, so to speak.

I can read people, but I might not act on any of it, in other words. Or I completely ignore everyone who I don't know because I know I won't act on any of the pro-social impulses. I'd say I'm correct in feeling I am introverted but can be empathetic.

 

[destrekor]

- I prefer animals to humans. - depends. Am I looking for assistance with a circuit problem, or just something to quietly keep company in the same room?

- I really enjoy caring for other people. - for a time. I prefer to do it when the goal is getting someone back to a state of self-sufficiency.

- I am at my best first thing in the morning. - If stabbing people in the face is the goal, yes, I could be at my best in that case.

- I like to do things on the spur of the moment. - Only for inconsequential things, like driving 10 minutes to get something at Tim Hortons.

- I often start new hobbies, but quickly become bored with them and move on to something else. - I do get bored quickly of something new, but as a result, I don't start many new things because I'll be "done" with it quickly. Answer to this is...?

- Other people often say that I am insensitive, though I don’t always see why. - What if I do see why? Like a blind bull in a china shop: It knows it's screwing up constantly, but it can't get out, and it lacks the ability to improve its situation substantially.

26/80?


What I've seen is that a lot of behaviors in high school and college persist into the real world. The stakes just get higher.

Oh yeah, I've always seen that it seems people act "immature" and stick to the same behaviors and attitudes and beliefs whether they are 50 or 18. Some get a wider view of things and mellow out, but generally, get them surrounded by "their kind", and off they go.

I'm with ya there on the animals. I wouldn't want to be with animals all day every day, but most days I'd rather keep to myself and have a dog around to play with or have lay near me and just see that unselfish smile and tail wag. :awe: There are times I need to be surrounded by humans, and the times where, instead of just being at a friends house, I need to be around a ton of other people at a bar or something, as the plan is to strike up conversation but the reality is I know I won't, but I want the opportunity, mainly hoping someone else sparks a conversation, then I hop in naturally.

I find, based on what is taught about Introversion vs Extroversion, that I am mostly introverted but I have a tendency to have extroverted times where it doesn't sap energy. There's a certain aspect of, say, being at work with others, I have more energy even if I don't feel like conversing with everyone. And alone, I tend to be a peg or two lower on the energy spectrum, though I feel more at peace. Sometimes the around others all day thing is draining, other times, it is a boost.

 

[nickbits]

You're taking a stroll through the woods one day at your secluded log cabin. On your walk you hear the faint whimpering sounds of what sounds like a small dog coming from a nearby bush. You remove a large branch covering the sounds and discover a young boy who appears to be about 10 years old. He has clearly fallen from a high branch and has been there for several hours. He is shaking violently, in shock and with minor hypothermia. He has broken both legs and has arterial bleeding in one, staved off by the weight of the branch. Clear fluid is leaking from his ears indicating his brain has swollen and he is in an out of consciousness. Blood is mixed with tears around his mouth indicating intestinal bleeding. You know it will take over two hours for emergency personnel to arrive at your location, and the boys odds of survival are slim. You carry a revolver in your pocket.

What do you do?

I'd either pretend i didn't see him and go home or call it in and do what the 911 people told me to do.

 

[Ken g6]

25/80. Though I see a couple of problems with this quiz.

First, they have all these "Do friends tell you" this or that. What if it's never come up? Maybe they should have a version to take with a friend to get a clearer picture.

Second, if they had a question, "Do you tend to sell yourself short", I would strongly agree.

 

[Ken g6]

I'd either pretend i didn't see him and go home or call it in and do what the 911 people told me to do.

I'd definitely call it in and do what the 911 people told me to do. If I had to go home to call it in I'd give the boy my jacket first. I'd also fire a shot in the air with my revolver, because if a 10-year-old boy is lost that deep in the woods, there should be people looking for him who might hear the shot and come find him.

@Elevenpog, I'd say just being able to write a paragraph like that is an indicator of a low empathy quotient. D:

 

[tynopik]

I think some of these questions tend to be misread by the very people they're testing for.

7. I try to solve my own problems rather than discussing them with others.

My first though was "No. If I can't find something in the store, I have absolutely no problem asking a clerk."

But that's not really 'discussing' anything. If the problem was more like 'My boss is treating me like dirt and I don't know what to do about it' then 'Yes. I'm not discussing my personal problems with other people."

 

[SlitheryDee]

I think some of these questions tend to be misread by the very people they're testing for.







My first though was "No. If I can't find something in the store, I have absolutely no problem asking a clerk."



But that's not really 'discussing' anything. If the problem was more like 'My boss is treating me like dirt and I don't know what to do about it' then 'Yes. I'm not discussing my personal problems with other people."

I guess what it's really asking is what is your first impulse when faced with a problem. Eventually, after I've exhausted all other options, I MAY ask someone for advice. Normal people ask for advice and help practically as a first resort. They may ask a clerk where something is before they've even looked for it. They talk about personal issues to all their friends. They talk to each other endlessly about anything and everything because they love to talk to each other, and discussing problems is just another facet of that. It's not a bad impulse really. It cuts right through the trial and error phase of many problems, but it involves things that I usually try to avoid. That being talking to people and having people help me.

With me it's a self esteem issue more than anything else. Why should I burden other people with my shit? They couldn't possibly be interested in anything I'm doing. Asking them for advice or help feels like a terrible imposition.

 

[tynopik]

With me it's a self esteem issue more than anything else. Why should I burden other people with my shit? They couldn't possibly be interested in anything I'm doing. Asking them for advice or help feels like a terrible imposition.

That's why I draw a distinction between 'professional' and personal scenarios. The clerk is being paid to help me (among other things) and it's not a personal interaction.

 

[WiseUp216]

16 ... pretty much what I expected.

 

[Ophir]

62. You guys are a bunch of monsters.

 

[Zodiark1593]

62. You guys are a bunch of monsters.

Had a cat go berserk and try to claim the hallway. Brought my rc car, and had some fun. So I suppose I'm a sadistic monster.

 

[clamum]

17. I've had basically no friends since elementary school and have never been able to communicate effectively outside of my family. If my parents weren't hardcore psychiatry-is-evil conspiracy theorist types I'd probably be a diagnosed aspie.



I answered slightly agree to animal suffering. It makes me a little sad but I'm not going to cry over it or be traumatized, unless it's something particularly awful. I never cut up worms but I used to salt them along with snails, pull the legs off of spiders, etc so I answered slightly agree to get the point across. I think most of my low score has to do with hating social situations and not knowing how to talk well verbally.

I got a 21. I answered "slightly agree" as well to animal suffering, and for the same reason. Same here for my low score having to do with not enjoying social situations and feeling out of place.

 

[destrekor]

I think some of these questions tend to be misread by the very people they're testing for.



My first though was "No. If I can't find something in the store, I have absolutely no problem asking a clerk."

But that's not really 'discussing' anything. If the problem was more like 'My boss is treating me like dirt and I don't know what to do about it' then 'Yes. I'm not discussing my personal problems with other people."

I see that question as more in general of personal life problems. Such as: I don't know how to handle this job option versus this other option; I don't feel right about my mental health, but do I reach out or fight through it; and the like.

 

[bbhaag]

Scored a 50. It's not really hard to listen to people and understand how they feel.
I also don't shy away from social situations and I try to include people. I've found that bouncing ideas and questions off people is a great way to get good feedback.

 

[tynopik]

Scored a 50. It's not really hard to listen to people and understand how they feel.
I also don't shy away from social situations and I try to include people. I've found that bouncing ideas and questions off people is a great way to get good feedback.

weirdo

 

[tynopik]

I see that question as more in general of personal life problems. Such as: I don't know how to handle this job option versus this other option; I don't feel right about my mental health, but do I reach out or fight through it; and the like.

exactly

but my point is, the first time through, I didn't catch that

so they're missing out on answers because 'some people' are interpreting the question differently than intended

 

[stevty2889]

I scored a 33, higher than I expected.

 

[angminas]

It's as if most people have native hardware support for that stuff, while a few of us have to run it all in a software emulation mode that we also have to write ourselves.

I've described it this way myself. Or I've said things like, I have an extremely fast CPU and a huge hard drive, but my motherboard is buggy, I don't have enough RAM, and all my I/O ports are non-standard.

When I want it to be, my emulation is VERY good, to the point that I can actually transform into an extrovert at will. I think it's along the same lines as method acting. I'm fucking magic with customers...I can displace my ego and empathize with them so that they usually feel validated and end up happy even if they don't get their main complaint fixed. I could not possibly count the number of times I've heard that someone's an intractable bastard, yet I get along with them just fine, even though I am an intractable bastard myself. Part of it is, because I'm an intractable bastard, I know what it's like to be irritable and I care about what they're going through. Nobody likes to feel like their concerns are unimportant, whether they're goofy or not. Often they even apologize for bothering me, and many people feel like they know me from somewhere, even when we've never met.

This happened to me so many times that I used to call it "familiar face syndrome". Finally I realized that it's more about the fact that I see the entire human race as one family and try to treat people accordingly. I have no desire whatsoever to compete against other people...if we're all one team, we should work together for the greater good. They feel that difference and their defenses drop. It's amazing how much progress you can make when nobody feels like they have to defend themselves.

Of course, for a massive introvert and Aspie like me, this didn't just drop out of the sky. I've had to work on it for a very long time...basically all my life. I grew up in an abusive household where I had to learn to placate without losing myself. I've spent a very long time in customer service, and I've spent a lot of time studying (especially the Bible) to learn why and how to treat other people right. But it can get tough, especially if there's stressful stuff going on. I just don't have the mHz to do multiple things right AND be friendly day in and day out.

I really want to be a good person who does good things and makes the world a better place, and I try very hard, but I get very tired. And because I try so hard all the time, I have zero patience with people who just slop through life, don't care about the people around them, and don't put forth much effort. Those people get on my shit list in a gigantic hurry.

 

[Captante]

41/80 ... frankly expected to score a bit higher.

 

[Zodiark1593]

I've described it this way myself. Or I've said things like, I have an extremely fast CPU and a huge hard drive, but my motherboard is buggy, I don't have enough RAM, and all my I/O ports are non-standard.

When I want it to be, my emulation is VERY good, to the point that I can actually transform into an extrovert at will. I think it's along the same lines as method acting. I'm fucking magic with customers...I can displace my ego and empathize with them so that they usually feel validated and end up happy even if they don't get their main complaint fixed. I could not possibly count the number of times I've heard that someone's an intractable bastard, yet I get along with them just fine, even though I am an intractable bastard myself. Part of it is, because I'm an intractable bastard, I know what it's like to be irritable and I care about what they're going through. Nobody likes to feel like their concerns are unimportant, whether they're goofy or not. Often they even apologize for bothering me, and many people feel like they know me from somewhere, even when we've never met.

This happened to me so many times that I used to call it "familiar face syndrome". Finally I realized that it's more about the fact that I see the entire human race as one family and try to treat people accordingly. I have no desire whatsoever to compete against other people...if we're all one team, we should work together for the greater good. They feel that difference and their defenses drop. It's amazing how much progress you can make when nobody feels like they have to defend themselves.

Of course, for a massive introvert and Aspie like me, this didn't just drop out of the sky. I've had to work on it for a very long time...basically all my life. I grew up in an abusive household where I had to learn to placate without losing myself. I've spent a very long time in customer service, and I've spent a lot of time studying (especially the Bible) to learn why and how to treat other people right. But it can get tough, especially if there's stressful stuff going on. I just don't have the mHz to do multiple things right AND be friendly day in and day out.

I really want to be a good person who does good things and makes the world a better place, and I try very hard, but I get very tired. And because I try so hard all the time, I have zero patience with people who just slop through life, don't care about the people around them, and don't put forth much effort. Those people get on my shit list in a gigantic hurry.

Goddamn, you pretty much summed up the story of my life right here, minus the bible part (or anything concerning religion). I am a rather prideful person though. For example, aside from the shit list group, it is extremely rare that I let show anger as I consider it an unacceptable weakness. When someone does become foolish enough to fall into my crosshairs however, I don't hold back the cold, heartless bastard that is me. The result is that either I scare the piss out of them, or I turn them red in the face from intense rage.

 

[amicold]

62. You guys are a bunch of monsters.

All this thread did for me was let me know that atot must have a disproportionate number of rainmen.

 

[Nograts]

All this thread did for me was let me know that atot must have a disproportionate number of rainmen.

If you use the income thread as a benchmark you're insulting the top 5%. You didn't know all the richies post here? Be careful bro. :biggrin:

 

[Paratus]

56.

Well judging from the scores around here I guess I understand ATOT now. :hmm: