alexithymia
[ey-lek-suh-thahy-mee-uh]
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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