A lot of people claim to have empathy, but only a small number can be called authentic empaths. Authentic empaths don't just feel empathy; It's an experience that follows them wherever they go, regardless of the situation. It also makes them the direct opposite of psychopaths and sociopaths, both of whom experience very low amounts of empathy.

When an authentic empath goes into a room full of people, they can easily read the thoughts and feelings of each person in the room, even if they don't interact with them.
Are you an authentic empath? Here are several clues that will answer that question.

1. They mirror other people's emotions

Authentic empaths don't just experience other people's emotions, they also copy them. They may feel sad when they see other sad people, but they are also likely to become very happy during joyful celebrations. It's who they are.

2. They are naturally intuitive

Empaths have the uncanny ability to understand the true motives of other people. This is true even in situations where other people are being evasive or outright lying. They are able to feel the energies of others which enables them to look past deceptions to the truth of the matter.

3. They are hard to lie to

Because empaths can easily read people's emotions, they are very difficult to lie to. They can sense malice or deceit behind a smiling face, and they are also skilled at figuring out other people's secrets by reading their emotions.

4. They tend to put other people ahead of themselves

Because they experience other people's emotions so acutely, authentic empaths tend to put other people ahead of them. As far as they are concerned, the happiness of other people might as well be their own happiness.

5. They can sense other people's sensations

Authentic empaths don't just feel emotions, they also feel sensations. They can feel pain, discomfort and even pleasure. These sensations are so bound up with actual emotions that most authentic empaths feel them as extensions of emotion, rather than as sensations.

6. They are more easily disturbed

Authentic empaths may be said to have 'thin skin' when it comes to disturbing or unusual images, sounds, smells, and people. They are also more likely to know if something is wrong and then identify its source. Finally, they also have stronger reactions whenever they encounter something or someone that disturbs them. Some may get sick, or they may even faint.

7. They get emotionally drained quickly

Because empaths experience the emotions of others so acutely, they also get emotionally drained very quickly. Unlike other people who experience emotions slowly and gradually, empaths experience them in one strong gulp — This exhausts them very quickly.

8. Solitude rejuvenates them

Finally, authentic empaths are rejuvenated by a little solitude, where they can focus on their own emotions and not have to worry about others. Some isolation allows empaths to recharge their emotional energy. If they recently experienced something horrible or disgusting, a little solitude will enable them to recover from their unpleasant experiences.