Ric's April newsletter post prompts this question:

Last edited Mon Apr 1, 2013, 09:18 AM - Edit history (1)

See Ric's OP: http://www.democraticunderground.com/122014362

I'm Virgo:

Virgo: The Martian effects are in Virgo’s 8th house. This is the house of shared resources or how the Virgo gains self-worth when with others. By placing more emphasis on your emotional connection to others, the Virgin naturally enhances their own skill-sets, which is what Virgo is all about. Too many times Virgo plays too humbly close to the vest. With this Aries influence, they’ll feel more like stirring things up with others in a more emotional way. This will certainly bring a much needed emotional coating that will help then in all relationships. Virgo is usually too hard on themselves, expecting purity. By being more involved with others, it should help them be a bit more lenient on themselves.


I found this to be MOST pertinent to something I'm struggling with right now.

I have always been someone who has a driving desire to understand others (the empathy thing, I suppose). I want to understand why they do what they do and feel what they feel.

It's truly not a matter of judging anyone; it's a matter of me trying to understand others, which helps me understand myself.

I admit that over the years there are certain personality types I no longer try to understand (though I remain open to enlightenment...lol), such as the hardcore Tea Party types. Well, I should say that it's not that I don't try to understand them; I believe it's all fear based. I simply gave up trying to interact and explore things with anyone stubbornly embracing that particular worldview. And I go in cycles as far as how zealous I am in my quest to understand, as sometimes I have more energy than other times.

In my quest to understand what makes others tick (including friends and loved ones), I tend to ask a lot of deep questions. I try to be careful and mindful of how I word things, but it seems I don't do a very good job because my questions seem to be a real source of conflict, including with those who are, in general, of like mind and heart.

My questions in and of themselves are perceived as judgments. (Though, to be perfectly frank, I tend to believe that speaks more to their own issues that may benefit from self-reflection, but I'm trying to stay open to seeing it differently.)

Plus, the mere fact that I do ask deep questions seems off-putting to a lot of people.

Which brings me to my question for you...lol:

Do you share my desire to understand other people in general, wanting to understand their choices and their feelings?

I've always assumed others are the same as me, having this driving desire to understand others; again, at least those who tend to be drawn to ASAH, for example. I then assumed that my way of asking questions must simply suck.

But then it dawned on me that this may be a very specific personality trait of mine, one not shared by others, and most other people (especially those in ASAH) are perhaps content to evaluate and explore their own thoughts and feelings at this point in time, not others so much.