13 Signs You're A Sigma Empath — The Rarest Type Of Empath
Sigma empaths are a study in contradictions.
Aleshyn Andrei / Shutterstock It may seem like society is always trying to fit us into smaller and smaller boxes. Yet sometimes we discover boxes that don’t feel constraining. These boxes help us understand key aspects of ourselves that we always wondered about before. Instead of feeling restricted by these labels, we feel seen by them.
For the lone wolf with strong empathic tendencies, this one's for you. Because there's an answer to certain things you've been experiencing: you may be a sigma empath.
What is a sigma empath?
A sigma empath is a type of empath who feels the emotions of others deeply, while embodying the traits of a sigma personality as well as an empath. Sigma empaths are independent people who can read and feel emotions and are sensitive to the feelings of people surrounding them.
What makes them different from a typical empath is their ability to feel their own emotions separate from the moods others are experiencing. They are considered lone wolves who are also very social, which is an attribute of the sigma archetype.
Here are 13 signs you’re a sigma empath.
1. You have a sigma personality.
Do you meet the qualifications of a sigma personality? I’ve written about the sigma female and the sigma male, but regardless of gender, the traits of the sigma include a tendency to prefer your own company while still being sociable and charming.
The sigma stands out because they genuinely don’t care what other people think and tend to think for themselves. This isn’t a rebel without a cause; rather, it’s a rebel who is only classified as such because they follow their own heart and intuition over societal standards.
To be a sigma empath, you must fall into the sigma personality type.
2. You're an empath.
While this is likely self-explanatory, to be a sigma empath, you also have to be empathic. Do you intensely feel the emotions of others as if they were your own? Do you have an uncanny ability to read the room and take other people’s emotional temperature without them having to say a word? You just might be an empath.
If you’re an empath who is also a sigma, read ahead to see if you meet these other criteria.
3. Your personality seems to be made up of contradictions.
Sigma empaths are a wealth of contradictions. They are incredibly social but considered loners.
While they thrive on their own, they also do just as well in social situations and can talk to anyone. They do have an inner circle, but they aren’t reliant on constant social interaction. In fact, sigma empaths are really social introverts and are never bored when they’re alone.
Sigma empaths also feel other people’s feelings deeply but don’t really care what other people think about them. This may seem like a contradiction when they refuse to compromise because it doesn’t resonate with how they’re feeling about a situation.
It may seem like they don’t care, which is far from the truth. They care deeply. They’ve just already learned that they can’t live exclusively for other people. Sigma empaths follow their hearts and a deeper internal knowing.
4. You see auras.
Are you capable of seeing auras around other people or animals? Auras are colorful energetic fields. Colors are said to mean different things about the person or object. While it’s possible for anyone to learn to see auras, sigma empaths tend to have this gift without having to learn it.
If you’ve always been able to see what’s invisible to others, you might be a sigma empath.
5. You have an unusually strong connection to nature and animals.
Have you always had an intense connection to nature and animals? Sigma empaths tend to be animal whisperers. Animals and insects just seem to vibe with them, and it’s not unusual for a sigma empath to talk to creatures as if they can understand them.
If you’re the one who can coax the stray dog out of hiding or have butterflies land on you on a regular basis, this could be one of your sigma empath gifts.
Additionally, the sigma empath tends to have a green thumb. Plants thrive when they take care of them because they just seem to understand nature. Now, you can kill every plant you try to grow and still be a sigma empath because you’re gifted with animals — and the reverse holds true.
You don’t have to vibe with all of Mother Nature to meet these criteria, but you do have to possess an unusually strong connection to be classified as a sigma empath.
6. You’re easily distracted.
In truth, sigma empaths are often easily distracted. Because they feel things deeply, they’re often using their brain power to read the room, process their own emotions, and note any extraneous stimuli in the area.
There’s just a lot going on for them. While sigma empaths are often great listeners, it’s also not unheard of for them to get distracted by their environment.
If this sounds like you, consider it a best practice to have personal conversations in quiet, soothing places rather than trying to have them when the world around you is vying for your attention. Having an emotional conversation at home with the TV off and phones on silent might be more ideally suited to the sigma empath than having a conversation in a busy restaurant or during a hectic workday.
While being easily distracted alone doesn’t make you a sigma empath, it could be a sign that you are one.
7. You have a strong sense of justice.
Although sigma empaths tend to be considered loners and rebels, they possess a strong sense of justice. Injustice gets under their skin, and they will thrive in conditions where they can use their gifts to right a wrong. If you’re the first to sign a petition or show up at a protest, you could be a sigma empath.
The sigma empath has an advantage when it comes to standing up for other people. Because they intensely experience other people’s feelings but don’t really care what the world around them thinks, they can step in and speak up for others, even if they’re the only ones doing it.
They won’t feel constrained by peers or societal pressure. They won’t feel embarrassed to have all eyes on them. Their sense of justice is so keen that they will be compelled to advocate for the underdog, be actively anti-racist, or speak out loudly and proudly for the rights of others.
In fact, bigotry of any kind is anathema to a sigma empath.
8. You have vivid dreams.
Are you a lucid or vivid dreamer? Sigma empaths have gifts that go beyond the conscious world. When they are asleep, they tend to have vivid dreams. These dreams often contain spiritual messages, which the sigma empath is usually able to decipher.
If you wake in the morning and consistently remember dreams, it could be your sigma empath gift revealing itself.
Sigma empaths who have lucid dreams have harnessed the power of changing the subconscious narrative. If a dream is going in a frightening direction, they’ve learned the secret to acknowledging the dream state and redirecting the dream down a new, lighter path. It’s a gift that comes naturally, not one they’ve cultivated.
Your vivid dreams could be just another sigma empath ability.
9. You're a natural lie detector.
"I just can’t lie to you." Do you hear this often? Sigma empaths are notorious for being able to detect lies. They just know when other people aren’t being honest. Lies of omission or commission — it doesn’t matter. The sigma empath will know.
Do you have an uncanny ability to sense what’s true? It’s a gift that can make dishonest people uncomfortable, but it’s one that has served you well. It guides all the relationships in your life, and if there’s one thing you actually hate, it’s dishonesty.
Plus, when your friends need a natural lie detector to find out if their lover is cheating, they call on you.
10. You’re a healer.
Sigma empaths are also said to be innate healers. Are you one of those people who others simply feel calm around? Is your presence soothing to others? Sigma empaths tend to have this vibe.
They also tend to choose healing careers or hobbies. It’s unsurprising when a sigma empath goes into the medical field, signs up to volunteer with hospice patients, or is a regular visitor at the local nursing home. Sigma empaths feel compelled to heal and help and will likely find some way to use this gift.
If this sounds like you but you haven’t yet found a way to express it, look for volunteer opportunities in your area. Meals on Wheels, homeless shelters, animal shelters, assisted living facilities, and many other organizations need extra hands to help. Find what speaks to your heart and go all in.
11. You have psychic abilities.
Sigma empaths often have psychic abilities. Just like your uncanny ability to read a room or see someone’s aura, you tend to know things before you possibly could know them. Psychic abilities are just par for the course for sigma empaths.
Now, this can take many forms. Perhaps you dream true dreams. Maybe you sense changes before anyone else does. It’s possible that you are in tune with the changing weather and know when to prepare for storms before anyone else. Sometimes, the psychic ability can come in a more paranormal form where you’re capable of sensing the presence of those who have passed on.
Sigma empaths don’t always cultivate these abilities, but they usually have them anyway.
12. Your senses are enhanced.
Do you feel like your senses are always turned up on high? Is the world a heightened sensory experience for you? This isn’t uncommon for sigma empaths, and it’s one of those traits that will often have people referring to you as neurodiverse. Your senses don’t feel ordinary. They feel intense.
This can be a cool party trick when the sigma empath can guess even the subtlest recipe ingredients, but often, the sigma empath can find this gift leads to sensory overload, which leads us to the last sign.
13. You're easily overstimulated.
Sigma empaths feel everything intensely — emotions, dreams, and even their senses. It’s easy to see how the sigma empath can become overstimulated by the world around them. It can feel like too much, which is partly the reason why they crave so much time alone to recharge.
Many people experience overstimulation. For the sigma empath, it’s a natural extension of their other powerful gifts.
How Sigma Empaths Can Protect Themselves
Cultivate strong boundaries.
If you’ve discovered you’re a sigma empath, it’s important that you cultivate strong boundaries with the people in your life and the world around you.
You’ll need to learn to separate what you’re feeling from what other people are feeling. You’ll need to draw firm lines around your personal time so that you’re not on call to be the shoulder to cry on all the time.
Being a sigma empath is no excuse to go around drained all the time. This isn’t a strength. Rather, it simply shows that you’ve yet to cultivate strong enough boundaries to protect yourself and your gifts. Don’t try to be a “hero.” Try instead to be a healthy human who knows your limits.
Keep a quality inner circle.
It’s essential for a sigma empath to have a quality inner circle. Low-vibrational people who eschew personal growth aren’t the best company for you. They’ll likely bring you down to their level and even stunt your evolution.
A quality inner circle will include people who are positive, growth-oriented, and non-judgmental. These relationships should have a healthy amount of balance. They understand when you just need time to yourself without feeling offended when you check out for a while.
A quality inner circle will offer the sigma empath love and support without draining their energy.
Practice regular self-care.
Regular self-care is important for everyone but is especially important for the sigma empath. The world around you can be draining. Make sure you have rituals and routines worked into your everyday life to help you ground, recharge, and center yourself.
Don’t neglect this daily practice. Make every part of your day an act of self-care. Choosing healthy habits will help you maintain your gifts and contribute to your overall well-being.
Learn to recognize overstimulation cues.
You’ll need to begin to recognize overstimulation cues. What helps you know that you’re just beginning to get overstimulated? For some, it could begin with a mild headache. Others might feel stomach discomfort or tension in the back, neck, or shoulders.
Learn to identify where you get the first signs of stress when there’s too much going on in the environment, and then learn to heed them.
If a headache brewing is the first sign you get, let that be your signal to find quiet and space. Don’t wait until you’re overstimulated and melting down before you get away from it all. Recognize the cues and take good care of yourself.
Create a healthy work-life balance.
Sigma empaths also need to create and maintain a healthy work-life balance to avoid overwhelm. The empathic yet social loner needs to find balance in all areas of their life to thrive. Without that balance, there’s a risk of near-constant overstimulation and overwhelm in general.
Working self-care into your day is one aspect of finding this balance, but it’s also important to use those healthy boundaries to distinguish between work and home times. Letting one bleed too much into the other is a recipe for disaster for the sensitive sigma empath. Protect your balance at all costs!
A Word of Caution
Sigma empaths essentially combine a stereotypical personality type (sigma) with empathic tendencies. The existence of empaths hasn’t yet been fully substantiated by the psychological or medical community, although some would argue that research has validated the existence of true empaths. So, why do we need, or want, the labels?
Many people in the world struggle with their identity. They want to understand themselves better. They might discover the truth about themselves through religion, astrology, numerology, or down other paths. At the heart of it, human beings want to be known and understood — and want to know and understand themselves.
Enter the sigma empath. If identifying with this label makes you feel seen and understood, then it does little harm. It can even be a helpful label that allows other people to better understand your personality.
What these labels are not meant to do, however, is to diagnose people, discriminate against them, or nurture superiority complexes. Sigma empaths aren’t naturally better than other types of human beings. They simply share some common characteristics that make them different.
As we expand our understanding of neurodiversity, we’ll likely encounter more labels along the way to help us understand the world around us and the people in it.
While science hasn’t validated the existence of the sigma empath, you may feel that this describes exactly who you are — or perfectly describes someone you know and love. In this case, take from it what you will with the full understanding that no one box will ever fit the full complexity of your extraordinary humanity.
Crystal Jackson is a former therapist and the author of the 'Heart of Madison' series. Her work has been featured on Medium, Elite Daily, Thought Catalog, The Good Men Project, Elephant Journal, and Mamamia.