If partial self-involvement is intrinsic to the simulationist mechanism, then demanding that sadness be recognized as purely other-focused renders genuine empathy impossible by definition.

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Empathy: Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person—essentially putting yourself in their shoes to grasp what they're experiencing emotionally. It means recognizing someone's emotions and caring about their experience, rather than just knowing about their situation intellectually. Empathy helps us connect with others, communicate with compassion, and respond to people's needs in meaningful ways.
Intrinsic(describing the kind of continuities that ground identity): Something that belongs to or is part of something by its very nature, rather than coming from outside or being relational.
by definition(Used to explain what makes something necessarily true based on word meanings): Something that is true simply because of how a word is defined, not because of how the world actually is.
other-focused(as used in psychology and ethics): Directed entirely toward someone else's experience, feelings, or needs rather than your own.

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