Is it normal to not feel sympathy for others?
It can be normal not to feel sympathy in every situation, or to show it differently from other people. If you feel indifferent most of the time, that alone doesn’t make you a bad person—but it may be worth noticing how it affects your relationships and choices.
Sympathy isn’t an on-off switch. You might feel it more for people you’re close to, struggle to connect with someone whose situation feels unfamiliar, or simply be too stressed or worn out to take on anyone else’s feelings. Some people understand what others are going through without feeling a strong emotional response themselves.
What matters more is how you treat people. You can act with kindness and respect even when you don’t feel much sympathy in the moment. If the indifference is new, bothers you, or is causing problems in your relationships, it could help to talk it through with someone you trust or a counselor.