Can you learn Empathy?

[giomvrck]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

You can use Detect Lies by any of the many vectors. Social Engineering page 7 points out that Detect Lies suffer a -3 when operating by text alone (neither voice nor other cues). As for Mysteries, take them with a centner or two of salt, since this is a book that in a bunch of places contradicts how things are assumed to work everywhere else (e.g. Mysteries hearing rules are incompatible with all of Basic Set, High Tech, Powers: Enhanced Senses etc.).

So, it's on page 37.
Where, too, the Body Language skill receives +3 from Empathy (unlike Kromm had said). I think that Empathy can be applied to Body Language since at the same time that you are feeling the subject emotions you are confirming/seeing the emotion being shown by his body/head/face.

Yes, i think that Detect Lies is a skill that uses all cues, from all sources. And Fast-Talk, as it seems, is to lie just with speech (or text, or signed communication). You are not feigning with your body, face and head to add more veracity to your lie (in this case it would be Acting). This is why Body Language can't be beaten by Fast-Talk, just Acting, since it relies on visual cues coming from the subject.
But i ask to me: Why Detect Lies uses all cues and if you sucessfully use Body Language you adds +3 to Detect Lies, like Empathy? My answer: because Detect Lies uses visual signs of the lie, and Body Language can gauge the feelings of the subject. This is why if you see a facial microexpression of disdain when the subject are talking about how much he is sad about the ransom of his his wife you have better chances of perceive that he may be lying to you. Same for a sustained and maybe asymmetrical microexpression of sadness (which is incongruent with a true and genuine expression of sadness - this is cientifically and empirical true).

Ok, so i still want to know about my another doubts (those i wrote quoting NineDaysDead).

Thanks for the answers, Vicky_Molokh.