Okay, so I posted this on the Facebook, and may as well post it here as well because *shrugs*. Should at least pretend there is activity on this site.

Anyway, so people can be affected by other people's emotions. That's affective empathy; when you look at someone who is upset and feel bad in response. Then there is cognitive empathy; a learned form of empathy which generally considers not what people are feeling but WHY. And sensitivity... I don't really know, to be honest. And looking it up is too much work! :D Anyway, I guess sensitivity is a measure of how you feel in response to other people's feelings? As in, feeling people are upset with you (via affective empathy) would cause more stress for a very sensitive person than a not sensitive person.

I guess what I'm idly wondering is the relationships between these three... So far I think I have the following:
* A high affective empathy may cause a high sensitivity, but I'm not too sure.
* A high sensitivity implies at least a moderate affective empathy, at least...
* Having both a high affective empathy and a high sensitivity can cause problems in using cognitive empathy because when you see someone upset, you feel so upset that you can't help them.
* Having a low sensitivity, a low affective empathy or a low cognitive empathy makes you an asshole.
* Having a high sensitivity makes you want to avoid all criticism at all because it upsets you too much.

So yeah, just idle wondering. I'd ask for responses but I doubt anyone would give them.