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Empaths are not required to ‘be nice’
What generally comes to mind when you think about an empath is a kind, compassionate person who feels deeply about everything. They’re always there to be the listening ear, the helper and the healer.
Yes, we are those things by our very nature.
But being too compassionate can be a problem.
Empaths can be taken advantage of, or hurt by others, because we hesitate to draw a firm line in the sand. We struggle to accept that someone might not have the best of intentions or may even want to hurt us on purpose.
We just can’t fathom why people would be rude, nasty or even hateful, but unfortunately there are some who navigate life primarily through power, dominance, and control. A small minority, to be sure, but they impact everyone around them greatly.
The awareness that life is not all love and light, is a harsh awakening for a young empath. Perhaps another child in our classroom said mean things, tried to manipulate you, pulled your hair, even got physical. For some, it was a family member who crossed that line.
It was so shocking that your young, naïve empath self didn’t know what to do. Perhaps you froze or just went along with it. You internalized the idea, ‘I am weak, and the other person is stronger’.
