Member-only story

Empaths Need to Draw the Same Boundaries Online That We Do in Real Life

Steffany Ritchie
6 min readSep 28, 2022

--

And if you’re not great at either, do yourself a favor and start

Photo by Josie Stephens: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-s-hands-23008/

I usually resist calling myself an empath, because in my mind, empaths are weak, vulnerable to low attacks, emotional vampires and other toxic types. But I kid myself. I am an empath, through and through, for better or worse, and it’s time I wake up, own it, and protect myself in all of my interactions online as well as in real life.

Empaths so easily can get sucked into a sympathy vortex for the downtrodden, the needy, and the world at large. It’s good to have human empathy, I do believe that, but there are limits to the energy I personally should allow myself to expend on people who are always a victim or a bottomless energy pit. I can’t help them, it’s not my job, and some types of people are never grateful or conscientious of anyone’s feelings but their own in the end.

I think sometimes I overcompensate in my writing, put on a brave face, and I can get a bit confrontational/bolshie, especially when I believe I am on the side of right/good in the face of bigger power. Maybe that makes some people think I need to be taken down a peg or two.

But don’t come crying when the temporary shine of your uninformed opinion and low blow fades and the majority of people ignore you at your…

--

--

Steffany Ritchie
Steffany Ritchie

Written by Steffany Ritchie

Nicheless. American in Scotland. Publisher of "Cancer Sucks, So Let's Talk About it More"

Responses (10)