Dark Empathy

Empathy is supposed to be a light—something that softens the hard edges of the world.

It’s what people praise—what crowns you ‘good.’

But even light can burn.

What if it can be something else—something sharper?

What if empathy, in the wrong hands, cuts deeper than hate ever could?

Dark empathy isn’t loud.

It doesn’t scream.

It just… knows.

It knows you well enough to shatter you with a whisper.

It finds the soft spots you thought were hidden and presses—just enough to remind you they’re still there.

The cruelest part? They might not even mean it.

They just see too much.

And once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

You can’t unknow where the cracks are.

And that knowledge—it’s dangerous.

Because when you understand someone that deeply, you hold a power over them.

And power—even when it’s wrapped in care—has a way of turning dark.

Ever been broken without a single raised voice?

Ever looked in the mirror and realized you could do the same?

That’s dark empathy.