Based on his research and studies in behavioral health, Dr. Douglas LaBier, PhD coined the term “Empathy Deficit Disorder” or EDD. Dr. Labier determined that EDD is a pervasive condition in America, and a greatly overlooked condition. People have a difficult time stepping outside themselves and dialing into what other people are experiencing. This is especially true for those who feel, think, and believe differently from one another.
Are you suffering from some degree of EDD?
People suffering from EDD are locked inside themselves in an egocentric world. They are desensitized to the people around them.
Contrast: Empathetic People
Empathetic people can maintain their own viewpoints, while understanding the person’s emotions, conflicts, and aspirations from their map of the world. Master psychologist Carl Rogers wrote “being empathic is complex, demanding, strong yet subtle and gentle way of being”. He simply explained empathy as a special way of coming to know another person, a kind of attuning and understanding.
When empathy is extended, it satisfies our needs and wishes for intimacy and rescues us from our feeling of aloneness. He wrote extensively about the necessity of developing the skills of empathy, rather than assuming empathy belongs to select personalities.
