In my limited personal experience, the emotional journey of "Shut up, nobody cares about your feelings you overprivileged ass" is very different from that of "T

In my limited personal experience, the emotional journey of "Shut up, nobody cares about your feelings you overprivileged ass" is very different from that of "That sounds very painful, I'm so sorry you're going through that". I'm sure others have had different experiences. As you say, there often isn't anything obviously actionable. It's just that in some cases, for some people, going from nothing actionable to dismissive can be a good way to convince them to find people who at least offer a hint of empathy. Again, you're completely right. There's absolutely nothing anyone can do for them. Except, I think it might be the case that listening with sincerity might be an option.