From a rational perspective everything doesn't need a reaction or expression. I tend to believe that people who are highly Intellectual and rational don't fixate on moment to moment, day to day emotional expressions. You mentioned you excel on a few of the important basics, not expressing or paying attention to feelings and emotions of others doesn't define you as a whole.
What do you mean by usual ? Feeling empty on the inside is a sign of despair , I think ( if you're speaking in terms of sadness ).......as an Fi user I can sometimes feel empty also. I have to check in with my emotions to know how I'm feeling, for me it feels more like - unless I ask myself how I'm feeling I wouldn't check in ever. Triggering is huge for me, I need to feel triggered emotionally in order to run far and deep internally to sort out the mess and impact it can create, this is the only way I can tell exactly what is going on emotionally. It feels weird for me to talk about feelings, IDK why can't we just feel things and let it go unsaid, shouldn't we save our emotions for something worthy and worthwhile feeling ? I have a hard time understanding the concept of analyzing emotions of others in basic or simply conversations, I'm not saying I can't, I'm saying the concept as a whole doesn't seem necessary. I feel annoyed when others try to analyze my emotions, so I in return do as I want done.
It sounds to me like you are not triggered by past experiences, it doesn't necessarily mean you don't feel emotional, it could mean nothing noteworthy has happened to trigger yourself into reacting on how others are feeling. I see this a lot in XNTJs and Fi users, and those with high IQ/ EQ.
Thank you for the response. I wouldn't say it's about how others are feeling - actually I think I'm pretty well attuned to how others are feeling, it's more about things like, having emotional reactions from music or books or events that take place. But yeah, I guess your point about nothing triggering me to feel a certain way still stands - maybe I just don't have any experiences or anything that relate to those things that trigger an emotion in me? Is that how it works for most people? And when I said I feel quite empty of feelings, I don't think I'm sad, just kind of removed, if that makes sense? In terms of myself anyway. When you add other people into the scene I am suddenly doing a balancing act, juggling what I perceive to be the feelings' and moods of the people around me and bouncing off of them. But in isolation, listening to some music or playing a video game, it's rare I feel emotional. I do sometimes, but it's rare.
And by usual I mean, I feel like 90% of the time I'm in a kind of 'neutral state' - no feelings, or at least, if they're there, they're just small bits like sand in the wind so I can't really notice them. But then every now and then something will happen that will make me shiver a little, like I'll go a bit hot or cold, and I'll think to myself, wow, I think I just felt something...I think I felt...<insert what emotion I think it was>.
My two cents: It's only a problem if it bothers you. If it bothers you, see a therapist of some sort and figure out what the issue is. If it doesn't bother you, then just carry on with your life.
Thanks for that - to be honest I'm not really sure if it bothers me. I sometimes just feel a bit left out when friends are like "man this song makes me feel so much" or "this memory makes me feel like this", and I feel like I'm missing out on something great. But I think I still function fine and have empathy and I definitely do have emotions, they just seem to be quite difficult to come out, and when they do, it's like a thin wind rather than a racing river of emotion.
Hey.
You're probably not alone in how you feel.. some people are just easily moved, and others aren't. I agree with Outside, though. If you feel really bothered by it then you can always talk to someone about it. But maybe this is just how you are? May I ask how old you are?
Hey, thank you for your response, it made me feel better haha. I'm 18 (19 this month) years old. Maybe you're right, maybe this is just how I am. It doesn't cause me any issues, I feel things when it comes to others so I don't act rudely or coldly at all, it's just a little thing I've been a bit concerned about recently.
my experiences with "rare" emotional responses was tied to depression... most of my emotions are still a bit blunted, but it simply makes it easier to think clearly...
i also think it is a problem if it bothers you, though i would add it is a problem if it causes you to treat others in a callous manner... i add that second caveat because it is hard to transition into feeling if your prior state left you isolated...
I've actually considered that maybe I have depression for a couple of years now, but I really don't know if I do or not. I don't feel sad or down or in pain, but it is quite difficult to excite me or make me want to go out and do something, or feel something. I do feel things, I feel love and guilt and pain and excitement, it's just I don't think I feel as much as the people around me do if that makes sense, and a lot of my feelings don't really feel 'deep' like my friends will sometimes describe, they just feel like thin, one-level waves that make images come into my mind. So I don't think I necessarily have an issue with emotions myself, it's just in comparison to others, maybe I do?
I probably need to research Depression more haha. And no, I've never had any issues with treating people in a callous manner, I'm quite warm on the outside, I just worry I'm missing something on the inside.
Huge thank you to everyone who took the time to respond, I didn't expect this many responses at all, thank you so much for all your support!
