Insecure People and the Absence of Empathy: A Conceptual Analysis Based on Autism, Empathy and the Need for Validation in Insecure Individuals
This text explores the relationship between insecurity and empathy, using analogies to illustrate the theme. The hypothetical case of a doctor who romanticizes his unconditional availability to patients is analyzed as an example of behavior motivated by insecurity masquerading as empathy. In practice, his motivation lies in the need to feel useful and valued, characterizing an egocentric search for validation that distorts true empathy. It is argued that genuine empathy is more common in secure individuals, whose empathic responses are not hindered by adjacent emotional needs. As a complement, autism is used as an analogy, highlighting the absence of cognitive empathy in individuals on the autistic spectrum and suggesting that the brain regions related to empathy and insecurity do not operate synergistically. This study proposes that authentic empathy is intrinsically linked to emotional security and the absence of egocentric interference.
