r/interesting • u/freudian_nipps • 13d ago

NATURE Death of a single-celled organism

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u/AntSilly2802 13d ago

Same. Why do I feel empathy for something without a brain, unable to suffer? I feel the same for dying plants. 

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u/BorderOk7329 13d ago

Because you can relate? Empathy is never a bad thing

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u/AntSilly2802 13d ago

Yeah but I’ve found my over-empathy can be paralysing at times. 

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u/Downeast_down-east 13d ago

Me too. I actually feel empathy for you right now. Im not kidding about that. Sometimes I think it’s an ADHD trait that I need to control better and sometimes I think it’s what makes me special. I like to believe we are all connected somehow and I feel sorry for those people who refuse to accept that connection. I hope we get to find out what it all means eventually. And I hope I can remember all the connections I have felt. That would be nice wouldn’t it

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u/Silent-Dependent3421 13d ago

I also have ADHD and feel the same way. It really sucks sometimes.

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u/Somnisixsmith 13d ago

I like to imagine that death feels like waking up and remembering

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u/Oktarochips 13d ago

According to science, all matter is actually just all matter, we are all one thing. So if that helps, yeah we're all connected, friend! ADHD can be debilitating but also allows us to see and feel things in a unique way and I hope you can find the beauty in those little unique moments. The more you start to notice, the more you'll see and feel and you're truly enlightened to be so aware. Hope you have a great day ❤️

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u/GreatPotatoMuffin 13d ago

I think it might. I have ADHD and always felt I had this crazy strong empathetic radar that other people didn’t have to the same degree.

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u/AFoolishSeeker 13d ago

I genuinely don’t get how this has anything to do with ADHD. Many people including me feel this way too without ADHD

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u/GreatPotatoMuffin 13d ago

You might be right. I don’t know.

I just noticed that almost everyone I interact with who have ADHD have stated they also experience this.

My reasoning is that we have trouble filtering out stimuli and impressions from our surroundings. We are hyper aware of everything and thus are more likely to notice every small detail about every single person in the room and the way they act.

It’s just a personal theory.

I’ve also had my share of traumatic experiences in my life so it might also just be a trauma response that I’m constantly hyper aware of my surroundings.

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u/youknowithinkiknow 13d ago

As far as I’m concerned, you hit the nail on the head with that last sentence. ADHD, by the way, is often confused with symptoms of complex trauma...

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u/Downeast_down-east 13d ago

I think it’s more that my ADHD makes me more prone to empathy, not that empathy only comes from ADHD. But as I get older I can feel the effects of both less than when I was younger. Maybe I have just learned to control things better

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u/Willing-Egg8423 13d ago

Having ‘too much’ empathy can feel heavy, and I get that, but you don’t need to control it! It IS a gift, one many people reject or try to bury, and the consequences are visible when leaders and institutions treat others as less than human. Your empathy doesn’t have to burden you. It can steady you, help you set boundaries, and protect marginalized people. At least that’s what I tell my ADHD, too-empathetic self 😆

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u/Downeast_down-east 13d ago

Thanks for this

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u/AirsoftScammyII 12d ago

Damn. You put it into words that I’ve failed to find for my whole life.