Instrumental empathy is the dimension that typically characterizes psychopaths and narcissists, because unlike what we think, these profiles are able to identify and read our emotions, however, once they do, they use that connection to manipulate us, to take us to their ground. and achieve their own goal without expressing resentment.
In the social articulation, empathy is in the positive and desirable quadrant, we can forget about this less bright and complex setback that presents this dimension, so it is common to think that people who are able to harm others, physically or psychologically, do so. I don’t have this capacity for empathy for others.
- However.
- A study published in the journal Brain by Dr.
- Harma Meffert and Valeria Gazzola highlight something to consider: the mirror system.
- That is.
- The ability to regulate the emotions of others through mirror neurons.
- Is present even in psychopaths who have even committed criminal acts.
However, this connection is brief, punctual and has specific objectives, so they do not lack empathy, but there is a clear willingness to instrumentalize the other.
“Anyone who fights monsters must be careful not to become a monster. “- F. Nietzsche-
Thanks to cognitive neuroscience we have made many discoveries about human behavior, the first is to realize, for example, that the empathetic process occurs in many parts of our brain, it takes different skills to come into contact with the realities of others, to know how the other person feels, what he thinks and what we would feel instead.
Subject matter experts, such as Dr. Frans de Waal, a well-known primatologist, point out that sometimes these processes can appear differently in each individual, i. e. there are people (including primates) who understand the emotional reality of their peers and are motivated to do something for the benefit of their peers.
Instead, others identify these emotions and choose to do nothing. They don’t feel that need, this motivated behavior.
There is also a third way. It is he who creates instrumental empathy and defines an individual who, aware of the emotions of others, uses them for a purpose, there is action and is nothing more than manipulating and causing harm without accusation of conscience or remorse.
People with instrumental empathy are often as charming as they are ambiguous; we have come to believe that they really care about us; we are convinced that the feeling is authentic and that its behavior is noble.
However, these behaviors have an end. These kinds of traits are, as we have said, very common in psychopathic personality and even narcissists, being able to appear also in interested and selfish people, let’s see what their characteristics are:
Instrumental empathy cannot be compared to emotional empathy. There is no deep connection, they do not penetrate our skin and there is no desire to promote our well-being.
Moreover, what they generate in the short and long term is harm, a violation, so the question that remains on our horizon is: what to deal with those who do not connect emotionally with us?
A 2011 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology showed that people with narcissistic profiles are aware that others do not have a very positive picture of themselves, they knew they were suspicious. However, it does not concern them, for them there is no reason to make changes.
Therefore, we face personality profiles in which we not only identify an absence of authentic emotional connection, but also do not mind hurting and do not care about the negative attribution we have of their person.
These are highly pathological characters, who often have many other psychological disorders, so they will rarely make the decision to seek or accept professional help to make changes.
Randall Salekin of the University of Alabama, an expert in psychopathic personality, is being remodeled to work on these aspects. The goal is very ambitious: to be able to activate a true emotional empathy in this sector of the population.
For our part, if we know someone who applies instrumental empathy, it is always more appropriate to establish an adequate distance, a personal safety barrier.