Have you ever heard the word “empath” and wondered what it meant? Have you ever been drawn to explore what an empath is? Or is this your very first time hearing this term?
Although I’m not always a huge fan of labels because they can get us boxed in sometimes, in this case, I find that this term can be incredibly helpful and illuminating.
It can help us develop awareness of our patterns, habits and even feelings that we have never noticed before, and open the door for incredible shifts and transformation in our lives.
That was definitely the case for me: when I discovered this term and so clearly saw myself in it, not only did I begin to appreciate so many qualities of mine. I also understood how I’m different from many members of my family and friends. It helped me shift my expectations, and also engage in better more appropriate self care for me.
At the end of the post, I’ve attached an awesome quiz that will help you determine whether you are an empath. Pay attention to the questions: they are particularly telling about the qualities of empaths!
So what is the meaning of an empath?
An empath is a highly feeling, empathic individual. You may walk into a room and immediately sense what the others are feeling, without even knowing them. You may take on other people’s emotions, sensations or even physical pain and actually sense them in your own body.
In the most basic level, an empath is a deep feeler who can easily attune to other people’s life experience and emotions.
Empaths can be both introverts and extroverts: meaning they may gain energy from being around people, or gain energy from alone time.
Empaths can also be highly sensitive people, but not necessarily. Highly sensitive people (or HSP’s) have an increased nervous system, and they have higher sensitivity to to physical, emotional, or social stimuli than other people. So for example, they feel pain more, loud sounds bother them a lot, etc.
Are you an empath: here is a quiz to find out!
Take the Empath Quiz
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Thanks for the ability to take the test
You’re welcome Sabrina! Did you receive a deeper understanding of yourself from it?
I took the test twice. I did not receive any mail.
Apologies Mar! There seems to be an issue with it that I am fixing now. I’ve emailed you your score!
where is my response
Hi Carol! Apologies, I think there is an issue with the plugin I used. I will email you your score!
Did not receive an email.
I just fixed this issue recently. I will email you the results now Cindy!
What does it mean if the test shows one is not an empath?
Simply that this is not your personality type, however it doesn’t mean that you are not an empathetic person as a whole!
Hi.. I just wanted to get your opinion. As a kid, I always stood up for people, felt uncomfortable when others were rude, or just anything that made someone else feel bad. I was always that really nice girl, sweet. I was extremely sensitive to.. well, everything. I think I’m just a HSP too. Big social circles were hard for me. I unfortunately think my nervous system is out of whack, and I am taking a shot that is supposed to help. But.. do you think being an empath is more created in someone or just something you were born with?
That’s a great question Sara. I think it’s both – a lot of us are born this way, and then many of us experience trauma so that we become so sensitive to the experience of others and we have a heightened understanding of the world that functions like a trauma response for us. So, I see it as both – and the part we can work on is increasing our healthy boundaries so that we can take space from harmful experiences and use our empathic abilities to serve us and others without feeling depleted.
Hi Marina
I just did the test and I felt the result wasn’t right. I then redid the test with different answers and it never changed from light empath. Is this working correctly? I know I am an empath and have done other quizzes with similar questions and have always got strong empathetic abilities along with being an HSP. I think you need to look into this. Let me know how you get on. Thanks 🙏
Thank you for your feedback Kate! You clearly know your truth – you are definitely an empath and an hsp so trust that!
So much love,
Marina