Can you learn Empathy?

Gumby Bush · 10-28-2010, 10:07 PM

Is Empathy necessarily subconscious or can you learn Empathy, or can Empathy be based on a internal catalog of peoples' external appearances when their emotion was known?

zylosan · 10-28-2010, 10:10 PM

People can learn to better read others body and verbal language, which could give a rational for making Empathy a learnable advantage. But such abilities can also be explained as skills. Psychology springs to mind.

Ask the GM.

Edit: For the record I have critically failed at my attemps to learn Empathy, so I just choose the socopath meta-trait.

whswhs · 10-28-2010, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zylosan

People can learn to better read others body and verbal language, which could give a rational for making Empathy a learnable advantage. But such abilities can also be explained as skills. Psychology springs to mind.

Body Language is the prototypical skill for this.

Bill Stoddard

Flyndaran · 10-28-2010, 11:55 PM

As it is, empathy borders on the psychic. Body language is the realistic ability whether learned or instinctive.

Gollum · 10-29-2010, 02:39 AM

In my campaigns, no advantage is purely inborn. Empathy, for instance, could be aquired after the character creation, with a good reason for that. Indeed, some major events in your life can open your soul to others, and make you suddenly have a good empathy...

So, if the player has a good reason (and enough bonus character points to spend), I can allow him to buy empathy between two adventures...

having said that, aquiring an advantage this way is not really "learning" it. In my humble opinion, once can learn skills or techniques, but not advantages (except, of course, advantages that are just advantages for game purpose, like languages for instance).

David Johnston2 · 10-28-2010, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fighting_gumby

Is Empathy necessarily subconscious or can you learn Empathy, or can Empathy be based on a internal catalog of peoples' external appearances when their emotion was known?

That's a world building decision.

Gumby Bush · 10-28-2010, 10:22 PM

What is the difference between Empathy and Body Language apart from the fact that Empathy is an Advantage and Body Language is a Skill?

David Johnston2 · 10-28-2010, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fighting_gumby

What is the difference between Empathy and Body Language apart from the fact that Empathy is an Advantage and Body Language is a Skill?

Empathy gives you an instant feel for the person. The GM should give vague indications of what psychological limitations they have. It's why people who have Empathy react at a minus to Callous people. Body Language won't do that.

Gumby Bush · 10-28-2010, 10:50 PM

Would Psychology cover knowing their psychological limitations? What (if anything) is unique to Empathy?

zylosan · 10-28-2010, 11:14 PM

Would Psychology cover knowing their psychological limitations? What (if anything) is unique to Empathy?
Yesterday 11:31 PM

Psychology requires that the judging character have a good deal of truthful, personnal and extensive knowledge to be able to accurately "read" them. Empathy allows an "instant" impression of the target character.

Empathy is also a requrement to influence some individuals with specific advantages though the specific advantage names escape me THM.

10-28-2010, 10:07 PM	#1
Gumby Bush Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: FL	Can you learn Empathy? Is Empathy necessarily subconscious or can you learn Empathy, or can Empathy be based on a internal catalog of peoples' external appearances when their emotion was known?

10-28-2010, 10:10 PM	#2
zylosan Join Date: Jan 2010	Re: Can you learn Empathy? People can learn to better read others body and verbal language, which could give a rational for making Empathy a learnable advantage. But such abilities can also be explained as skills. Psychology springs to mind. Ask the GM. Edit: For the record I have critically failed at my attemps to learn Empathy, so I just choose the socopath meta-trait.

10-28-2010, 11:55 PM	#4
Flyndaran Untagged Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon	Re: Can you learn Empathy? As it is, empathy borders on the psychic. Body language is the realistic ability whether learned or instinctive.

10-29-2010, 02:39 AM	#5
Gollum Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: France	Re: Can you learn Empathy? In my campaigns, no advantage is purely inborn. Empathy, for instance, could be aquired after the character creation, with a good reason for that. Indeed, some major events in your life can open your soul to others, and make you suddenly have a good empathy... So, if the player has a good reason (and enough bonus character points to spend), I can allow him to buy empathy between two adventures... having said that, aquiring an advantage this way is not really "learning" it. In my humble opinion, once can learn skills or techniques, but not advantages (except, of course, advantages that are just advantages for game purpose, like languages for instance).

10-28-2010, 10:22 PM	#7
Gumby Bush Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: FL	Re: Can you learn Empathy? What is the difference between Empathy and Body Language apart from the fact that Empathy is an Advantage and Body Language is a Skill?

10-28-2010, 10:50 PM	#9
Gumby Bush Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: FL	Re: Can you learn Empathy? Would Psychology cover knowing their psychological limitations? What (if anything) is unique to Empathy?

10-28-2010, 11:14 PM	#10
zylosan Join Date: Jan 2010	Re: Can you learn Empathy? Would Psychology cover knowing their psychological limitations? What (if anything) is unique to Empathy? Yesterday 11:31 PM Psychology requires that the judging character have a good deal of truthful, personnal and extensive knowledge to be able to accurately "read" them. Empathy allows an "instant" impression of the target character. Empathy is also a requrement to influence some individuals with specific advantages though the specific advantage names escape me THM.