Imagine watching a heartbreaking movie. Everyone around you is reaching for tissues, becoming visibly upset or talking about how emotionally devastating the scene was. You, however, remain completely composed. You understand that the scene is sad, you may even think about it afterward, but you don't feel the urge to cry.
It is easy to assume that someone who remains emotionally unaffected by a heartbreaking scene is cold, detached or lacking empathy. Psychology suggests the reality is much more complicated. Emotional experience, emotional expression, empathy and emotion regulation are related but separate processes . A person can understand another person's suffering without displaying a dramatic emotional reaction. Research into emotion regulation also shows that people differ considerably in how they experience and express emotions.
