People who have a high degree of empathy or sensitivity to energy or “vibes” have a tendency to also think of everyone else being as sensitive or empathic.
Hence the disillusionment and the feeling of disbelief if someone is being deliberately hurtful, calculating and manipulative.
Empaths who do not know they are empaths cannot wrap their heads around deliberate viciousness or hurtful behaviour.
Also a disempowered empath can be as hurtful and manipulative if they are in the victim mentality.
So it will be incorrect to assume that anyone displaying hurtful behaviour does not have any compassion themself.
They might be but are disempowered and weak so lashing out is their way of providing some sort of defence against those that they view as threats.
When you are an ’emotional empath’ which means when you pick up on the FEELINGS of others, you are more likely to go into a REACTIVE state almost unconsciously. This is because you are not RESPONDING to something that is being SAID or is CONSCIOUSLY TANGIBLE, such as words.
You are REACTING OR RESPONDING to the emotional state of the other person.
So if you are an emotional empath AND one who is unconscious of being one, you can easily go into reacting to something that was never outwardly expressed in words…only in energy.
Which gives the other person the power to turn and twist your reaction because they never SAID in words what their energy said to you in their feelings or energy.
So as an emotional empath, and KNOWING you are one, it brings you to the understanding of how important it is to NOT go into the REACTIVE state and remain neutral and therefore in your own power.
The power that is stronger than your innate need as an empath to make people around you happy at all cost ( sometimes at your own cost)
Mehr's blog 