- [Narrator] Dark empaths are not empaths.
It sounds self contradictory, right?
But what that means is that dark empaths
are people who have a high level of cognitive empathy only,
not emotional empathy or compassionate empathy.
They're able to understand someone's emotions well
and put themselves in other people's shoes.
Yet, they don't possess the ability
to provide wholehearted concern the way full empaths do.
This is because despite the fact
that they are high in empathy,
they're also high in the dark traits of narcissism,
psychopathy, and machiavellianism.
One might mistake them as psychopaths
because of their similarities.
But here are five ways dark empaths
are actually quite different from psychopaths.
Number one.
Dark empaths show emotions while psychopaths lack them.
Have you ever met someone who seemed nice to you,
but later on displayed manipulative behaviors?
Did their kindness ever seem scripted?
Psychopathy is generally characterized
by features such as an incapacity for love
and a lack of remorse or shame.
This is different from dark empaths who do show emotions
no matter how fake they may seem.
Dark empaths know where to take advantage of you best
and that is through your feelings.
They know exactly what face to put on to manipulate you.
Number two.
They're empathetic while psychopaths just don't care.
Psychopaths chase the feeling of excitement
without caring about whether their actions
are hurting other people.
Dark empaths, on the other hand,
are more careful about their actions.
Do you know someone who always seems to say the right words?
Dark empaths can figure out your emotions pretty well.
It's the main reason for the word empath in their name.
Due to their high level of cognitive empathy,
they may even notice things you're hiding from others.
For example, they may notice that you're feeling down,
even when others do not.
They may also congratulate you for an accomplishment
to make you feel good about yourself.
However, they do these things for harmful reasons
and when they've gotten the results they've wanted,
they might begin acting distant.
So try to be on the lookout.
Someone being inconsistent with their behaviors
is a telling sign of this.
Number three.
They're patient.
While psychopaths are impulsive,
dark empaths know when to strike best.
They're different from psychopaths
who often make decisions on a whim.
They think about a situation
to figure out how they can manipulate it
to their best advantage.
Have you ever been used by someone you trusted?
Dark empaths can spend a long time building a relationship,
just to end up using it for their own interests.
They like to take their time
because they know how important it is
to make themselves appear trustworthy to others.
This is why it helps to be wary about people
whose kindness seems fake.
Is someone being nice to you all of a sudden?
Are they love-bombing you
and spending more time with you than usual?
It might be that they just wanna be your friend,
but if you notice that they engage in problematic behaviors,
such as backstabbing, gossiping, and the like,
they probably won't be the best influence on you.
Number four.
Dark empaths are careful while psychopaths are reckless.
Psychopaths lack remorse and engage in reckless behaviors
that can put another person in peril.
Dark empaths, on the other hand,
care about how they look to others
because this is the way they can gain their trustworthiness.
They understand social cues, norms,
and do their best to live just like the next person
so as to avoid any suspicion.
However, they may also be inclined to perform behaviors
such as gossiping or bullying.
At times, they might even resort to physical aggression.
This is because even though dark empaths are sociable beings
high in empathy,
they also have the dark traits of narcissism,
psychopathy, and machiavellianism.
As mentioned, they are high in cognitive empathy.
In short, they read your emotions and use them against you
because they don't possess the innate concern
that full empaths have.
Number five.
They're extroverted
while psychopaths show antisocial behavior.
While psychopathy is not a diagnosis in itself,
many of the characteristics of psychopathy
overlap with symptoms of antisocial personality disorder.
They tend to stay away from social settings
and instead act out, break rules,
and perform uninhibited activities by themself.
Dark empaths are the opposite.
They're usually found with other people
because that is the environment they know best.
They have a drive towards grandiosity
and want to receive attention continuously.
They know exactly when to comfort a person in need
or be beside someone who's having a hard time.
And with their charisma,
they have the tendency to manipulate other people
or even brew conflict between relationships
so they look like the better person.
Do you know anyone who could possibly be a dark empath?
Share your experiences in the comment section below.
Keep in mind that if someone does have these traits,
they're not necessarily labeled a dark empath immediately.
This applies to psychopathic traits too.
Just because someone displays them
doesn't mean they're a psychopath.
The best thing to do
is to visit a mental health professional
if you or someone you know is displaying these signs
in order to get an accurate diagnosis.
Did this video give you some more insight?
Share with a friend if you think it could help them.
Don't forget to leave a like too.
Until next time.