If you are an Empath, there is a good chance you have experienced what I like to call “Empath morphing.” Some of you may have noticed it only once or twice in your life, while others experience it so often that it almost feels like second nature.

For the purpose of explaining this unusual Empath trait, I’m going to borrow a comparison from the world of Harry Potter, that I’ve used before.

If you’re familiar with the books, you may remember the creature known as a boggart. A boggart is a shape-shifting being that takes on the form of whatever the viewer fears the most. It doesn’t have a fixed identity of its own, instead, it becomes a reflection of the person standing in front of it.

Now, before anyone panics, I’m not suggesting that Empaths are secretly magical creatures hiding in broom cupboards. But in some ways, certain Empaths behave in a surprisingly similar way, not by changing their physical form, but by subtly shifting their behaviour, tone, or personality to match the expectations of the person they are interacting with.

In other words, they morph.

Many Empaths are frequently misunderstood or misinterpreted. That alone isn’t unusual, plenty of people are. The difference is that Empaths have a heightened sensitivity to the thoughts, emotions, and assumptions of those around them. Because of this, they can unconsciously pick up on how another person expects them to behave.