Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Word: alexithymia





alexithymia

[ey-lek-suh-thahy-mee-uh]
noun, Psychiatry.
1. difficulty in experiencing, expressing, and describing emotional responses.

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Linda sighed.  So far the interview process had been a total bust.  The best candidate for the position so far had been a woman who was so obsessed with her kids that she used them in some way for every question.  If it wasn’t for that, she would’ve been a fine choice.  She just hoped the next candidate would be better. 
                She took a moment to gather his info.  It was a man named Robert Lineman who seemed to have a decent enough work record and decent education.  He was certainly more qualified than many of the other people she had interviewed. 
                She gave the signal for him to enter and waited a few minutes.  When he came in, she was pleased to note that he wore clean, professional attire.  That alone put him above half of the previous interviewees.  He did seem oddly dispassionate though.  Most people tried to seem happy and energized.  Robert’s face seemed to lack any such emotion.  She took note of that and began the interview.
                “Good afternoon Mr. Lineman.  My name is Linda Parkers and I’m in charge of new hires here, so I’ll be handling this interview today.  Please have a seat.”
                “Good afternoon.”  He replied as he sat down.
                “Now then, why don’t you start by telling me a bit about yourself.  You’re background, education, that sort of thing.”
                “I grew up in a normal household with my parents.  No siblings though.  I mainly kept to myself through school.  Socializing is tricky for me.”
                “And why is that?”  Linda interrupted.  That threw up a big red flag in her mind.  Anti-social individuals could be problematic in the line of work she was hiring for.
                “I have a bit of a condition that makes it hard for me to understand emotions.  It affects my ability to both show them and read them in others.  I’m not completely emotionless, mind you, it just takes more effort for me than it does for others.”
                Linda wasn’t quite sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.  On the one hand, she could certainly picture it being a boon when dealing with angry, irate customers.  It meant he was far less likely to fly off the handle himself.  But it could also make nervous and uncomfortable around him. 
                “I see.  And how has this condition impacted your work life?”
                “I try not to let it.  I work as hard as I can, both on my actual work and understanding others.  The second part is harder though.  I’m much better now than I used to be though.”
                “Okay.  So, tell me more about yourself, other than your condition.”
                Linda did her best to carry out the rest of the interview like she would any other.  But  it became trickier as time wore on.  He was certainly qualified, and he seemed like a very hard worker.  The only problem was how cold and uncaring he seemed.  She could tell he had some emotions, he just didn’t display them.  When it was time for the interview to end, she was distressingly glad it was.
                “So, is there anything else you would like to say?  Any questions?  Comments?”  Linda asked.  She hoped he wouldn’t.
                “Ms. Parkers, I know I’m a difficult person to be around.  I know I make people uncomfortable.     I’ve been compared to a robot many times in the past.  I know there will be problems with having someone like me on your staff, especially when dealing with the public.  But I hope to improve myself.  It’s the main reason why I applied here.  I hope the experience of working in a place like this will help me with my condition.  If you hire me, I promise to do my best with my emotional problem, as well as my actual work.  I’ll do everything I can to make sure you won’t regret the decision.” 
                “I see.”  Linda said.  For some reason, a twinge of guilt entered her mind.  It wasn’t like he had given some big, inspiring speech or anything of the sort, and yet, she almost regretted the fact that she was already planning on not hiring him.  “Well, I can’t make any promises right now, since I have a lot of very qualified people to go through, and the interviews aren’t even finished yet.  When I make my decision I’ll let you know one way or another.”
                “Thank you for that.”  He said.  His lips shifted and moved, eventually forming into a crude smile.  It was a bit unsettling, but at least it showing he was trying.  “I hope to hear from you soon.”
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I imagine this would be a difficult condition to have.  I mean, it blocks basic empathy, which is so critical to our everyday interactions with people, and even society as a whole.  It must really be tough for them to get around every day like that. 

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