slo town
Thread starter
I cannot agree with the great writer on this. Based on experience, some people are born with hyper empathy and conscientiousness. I know, because I was born like that. I cannot really prove that, but there is suggestive evidence of a sort. My biological father is a musician. We were all still living together up until when I was 5 or so. According to my parents, when they started to ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I started to insistently tell them that I wanted to be a doctor to everyone, everywhere, and that I would always be there for anyone who needed someone.
My dad has spiritual beliefs, and we would have these deep conversations at the time, and I would tell him things about how it was so important to care for everyone and how so many people hurt. He was deeply moved by these conversations and wrote a song about it called Dr. Everywhere.
I remember at the time, I could feel people's feelings and emotions at the time, and most of what I felt was suffering, and it deeply pained me. It was quite an uncomfortable experience (was always a very sad and deeply serious child). Anyways, I didn't want to be a literal doctor, but it was the closest thing in my 4 year old mind and vocab to the concept of unconditional and universal help and love for others. Basically, at that time, I cared about everyone and every living creature. Hyper affective empathy. When you deeply care about and feel for others, it really, really lessens your desire and very ability to do wrong to others. This hyper empathy didn't last past age 7 due to a rough and stressful childhood (I ended up shutting down, and becoming extremely withdrawn, to the point of moderate autistic like behavior-extremely quiet/non verbal, etc).
Anyways, this is a friend and I performing my dad's song many years after it was written:
Please do not quote the yt video link, I'm hoping it can be edited out later. Thank you.
Justin, I appreciate you putting "it all out there". That took courage. Impressive.
Scott