> Without a model of ADHD thought processes my attempts at empathy were counter-productive. This is why I often wonder it empathy isn't overemphasized as a too

> Without a model of ADHD thought processes my attempts at empathy were counter-productive. This is why I often wonder it empathy isn't overemphasized as a tool in our collective toolbox. When teaching it, we often fail to highlight how essential a coherent model the subject's inner world is to the empath's success. Otherwise, the empath is merely fantasizing about their reactions to similar circumstances - a recipe that can lead to festering resentment. My professional experience has taught me that proactive empathy can be more harmful to a work environment than a simple combination of humility and compassion. A piece of that can mean realizing that a team member isn't fit for purpose and either removing or working around them. It can also mean taking the arduous path of developing an understanding of your coworker's inner-world, as you ended up doing. Even then, I recommend modelling around capacities and thought patterns rather than emotional responses. There's nothing more obnoxious than a coworker without a clue, or to-which you're indifferent trying to 'understand you'. Especially if they're tremendously off-base.