No - Empathy is a positive feeling/emotion that means to be able to identify within yourself with someone else's feelings/emotions - being able to walk in someone else's shoes so to speak. It is usually hard for one to differentiate between sympathy and empathy but when they do this is a positive thing within one self.
Some disorders associated with lack of empathy include narcissistic personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and certain forms of autism spectrum disorder. These disorders can hinder an individual's ability to understand or connect with others' emotions and perspectives.
narcissistic
Most psychopaths do not kill people. Psychopathy is antisocial personality disorder, characterized by a lack of empathy, guilt and inhibition.
MRIs have shown differences in activity in portions of the brain associated with empathy, as compared with non-narcissistic individuals. Narcissists have a fairly broad range of other emotions, but they are often shallow.
Subjects with Asperger's most certainly have empathy, and express it too. I refer you to Dr. Temple Grandin, who is probably the highest functioning Asperger's subject to date, and her extremely empathetic treatment of animals as expressed in her book, "Animals in Translation". That said, Asperger's -- an autism spectrum type disorder -- interferes with social communications more than the internal process of empathy itself (as would be more likely found in what we used to call sociopathy and now call ASD or Anti-Social Disorder). The empathy exists; the communications process is impaired. Comment: It was once believed that people with Asperger's Syndrome did not have empathy. It is now known that they do, although they are not necessarily able to express it. They seem better able to express it in writing, where real-time interaction (and trying to interpret nonverbal language) is not necessary.
Symptoms of conduct disorder may include aggression towards people or animals, destruction of property, theft, deceitfulness, and violation of rules. These behaviors are often persistent and may lead to significant impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning. Treatment typically involves a combination of therapy, behavioral interventions, and family support.
Have or Show empathy would be more correct than Use empathy.
The suffix for empathy is "-y."
Empathy E... M... P... A... T... H... Y...
There is a distinction made in empathy. Empathy may be viewed as a relatively stable disposition (dispositional empathy), but also as a transient affective reaction elicited in concrete situations (situational empathy).
Extreme self centeredness means lacking in empathy and only caring about yourself and your needs and sometimes being narcissistic. Self-centeredness in the extreme is called narcissistic personality disorder.
Empathy and compassion are one and the same. People who display empathy are often compassionate.