At home you might be dealing with a person who understands you so well, they almost read your thoughts. But that doesn\u2019t mean you feel \u201cunderstood\u201d in a positive sense, your needs met, or your emotions valued. It is possible you are in a relationship with a dark empath and don\u2019t have a clue you are in an abusive relationship.<\/p>\n
But, empathy and dark? Sounds like a paradox, doesn\u2019t it? Up till now, we understood empathy as a trait of emotionally intelligent, highly sensitive people who were looking to understand your pain and joy and be of support. Enter the term \u201cdark empath\u201d and we are left confused.<\/p>\n
Often termed the most dangerous personality type, dark empath is a fairly new term stemming from recent research. And it would be impossible to understand it without the intervention of a specialist. To help you gain better insight into the concept of dark empathy, we consulted Dr. Karan Dhawan<\/a> (MD, Psychiatry), founder of Healing Soul Clinic, who specializes in de-addiction, personality disorders, mood disorders, and gender dysphoria disorders. From our expert\u2019s desk directly to you, here is your step-by-step guide to understanding what is a dark empath and how to deal with a dark empath in a relationship.<\/p>\n Narcissists, we understand, are the ones to be wary of. They are selfish and manipulative. On the contrary, in a typical empath vs narcissist<\/a> contrast, empaths are the victims with a pathological need to be kind and giving, giving in to a narcissist\u2019s selfish demands. But now we learn that an empath too can have a malevolent dark core. How is that possible?<\/p>\n This study<\/a> describes dark empaths as people who \u201cdemonstrate a cluster of dark personality traits (the dark triad traits) combined with elevated levels of empathy.\u201d Dr. Dhawan explains, \u201cA dark empath has cognitive empathy i.e. understanding of others\u2019 emotions, along with manipulation expertise, selfishness, and remorselessness. And that\u2019s how you have a master manipulator on your hands!\u201d<\/p>\n Related Reading: <\/strong>Relationship Bully \u2013 What Is It And 5 Signs You Are A Victim<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Scientists have clubbed a trio of negative personality traits called the \u201cDark Triad\u201d, or sometimes the \u201cenergy vampires\u201d. These personality traits are:<\/p>\n The one thing that is common in all three is that they all lack empathy. The Dark Triad, therefore, is a \u201clow empathy + high dark traits\u201d combination. What happens in the case of dark empathy is that it combines these dark traits with high levels of empathy. To sum it up visually:<\/p>\n How this terrible combination ends up creating arguably the most dangerous personality type, we see next!<\/p>\n To understand the dark empath meaning, we first must look at empathy. The American Psychological Association<\/a> defines empathy as \u201cunderstanding a person from his or her frame of reference rather than one\u2019s own, or vicariously experiencing that person\u2019s feelings, perceptions, and thoughts\u201d. But the empathy you see is of three kinds, one leading to the next:<\/p>\n An empathetic person not only knows how you feel, but they also feel your pain and have the instinct to help you. But something is off with dark empaths. You do not see in them a complete lack of empathy<\/a> but instead what is called \u201cfractured empathy\u201d or impaired empathy. They only have cognitive empathy, which means, dark empaths totally understand how you feel, but that\u2019s where it stops. This knowledge without a desire to be kind is dangerous in their hands.<\/p>\n Dark empaths can use this knowledge for almost mining data from your brain to manipulate you to their advantage. Since they have a map of your mind, they can predict your thoughts, your behavior, and your reaction, and act accordingly. They can hide their malevolent intentions so well it becomes almost impossible to spot their abusive behavior and know what they are up to.<\/p>\n So, will we be turned to dust in front of these Goliaths of manipulations and deceit? Can we take them down? Or where necessary, can we learn to deal with them, live with them and take measures to protect ourselves rather than falling victim to their ways? The first step always is to identify the problem itself.<\/p>\n A dark empath is sweet yet manipulative. They are charming, yet hostile. They try to show that they understand you, yet do not let you into their inner thoughts. Dark empaths are extremely complex and therefore hard to spot. Turning the table and using their tactics against them may be our best bet. Let us read their mind to understand their distinctive dark empath traits and spot their bad behavior. Here are a few signs of a dark empath in relationships:<\/p>\nWho Is A Dark Empath?<\/h2>\n
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What is the Dark Triad?<\/h2>\n
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What makes Dark Empath the most dangerous personality type?<\/h2>\n
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5 Signs Of A Dark Empath<\/h2>\n
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