How do you spot a dark empath?
05/12/25 5:19pm
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This post was sourced from submitted reader questions and posted by wikiHow Editorial Staff.
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Here are some common signs of a dark empath:
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- They're reluctant to talk about themselves.
- They seem too eager to get to know you.
- You frequently catch them in lies.
- They do cruel or mean things while pretending to be nice.
- They think they're better than others.
- They're perceptive and can tell what others are thinking.
You can spot a dark empath by noticing people that are empathic but who use that ability just to get their own needs met. I don't think that most people do that maliciously. I think it's just the way that they feel they need to be in the world. But once they recognize that they don't need to be that way, then they can change that behavior.
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When someone's referring to a dark empath, what they're often talking about is someone who naturally has “Eeyore” energy. They’re a complainer, they are putting out energy that says “If something's going to go wrong, it's going to happen to me”.
So, to spot one, notice when someone around you is carrying heavy, depressing energy. Maybe they're complaining a lot, or they talk about how nothing ever works out for them, or they pretend to be supportive but then can't be your cheerleader. They are in a cycle of feeling like everything is going wrong for them, and they're not reaching for positivity or possible solutions. Think of the statement “misery loves company”. Sometimes, you can be around a friend that complains about something and if you don't jump on their bandwagon, they don't want to talk to you about it anymore because you're not pumping their tires.
Even if we don't have the proof that someone person is a dark empath, your goal should be to trust our own instincts. And if you’re around that energy and it doesn't feel good, just say to yourself, “this is not for me” and back away from it.
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So, to spot one, notice when someone around you is carrying heavy, depressing energy. Maybe they're complaining a lot, or they talk about how nothing ever works out for them, or they pretend to be supportive but then can't be your cheerleader. They are in a cycle of feeling like everything is going wrong for them, and they're not reaching for positivity or possible solutions. Think of the statement “misery loves company”. Sometimes, you can be around a friend that complains about something and if you don't jump on their bandwagon, they don't want to talk to you about it anymore because you're not pumping their tires.
Even if we don't have the proof that someone person is a dark empath, your goal should be to trust our own instincts. And if you’re around that energy and it doesn't feel good, just say to yourself, “this is not for me” and back away from it.
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