Episode 18: Empathy

In this episode of The Alert Podcast, we dive into empathy — what it means to truly feel for people, understand their perspectives, and where the line exists between compassion and carrying emotions that were never ours to hold. We talk about the constant internal question so many empathetic people ask themselves: “Have I done enough?”

Patrick opens up about feeling “too empathetic” throughout his life, absorbing the emotions and energy of the people around him, and how that can become emotionally exhausting. The conversation explores the difference between cognitive empathy and emotional empathy, understanding someone’s experience versus physically and emotionally feeling it yourself.

We also discuss the strange disconnect that can happen when talking to people under the influence — questioning whether you’re meeting the real person or a version filtered through substances, emotion, or escape.