Family resemblances.

Family portrait, Thanksgiving 2005.

during last night's dinner:

daddy: who does jiyun look like?
mommy: me! she looks like me!
me: no. jess is weird looking, she doesn't look like anyone!
daddy: then who do YOU look like?
me: i look like you
daddy: (angrily) NO! ... i'm better looking than you.

trouble empathizing

why do i have such a hard time empathizing with others?

when ppl say things like, i don't like my job. or i hate being a waiter the pay sucks. i don't know how to respond. it feels disingenuous or insincere to be like "yea i know right?" because literally i don't know.

how can i respond appropriately without being misconstrued as insincere ("oh, i totally get you") or snotty ("sorry i have no idea what that feels like")?