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Autistic individuals often struggle with cognitive empathy, which involves understanding others' emotions, but they typically have strong affective empathy, meaning they care deeply once they know how someone else feels.

Roxane Gay finds it challenging to maintain empathy for those who support harmful policies, but acknowledges the necessity of caring to ensure safety for all.

The importance of balancing empathy and logic in discussions about societal issues, such as trans rights and border security, is emphasized.

Autistic people are sometimes unfairly labeled as lacking empathy, but they actually have a strong emotional response to others' suffering once they understand it. This contrasts with psychopaths, who may understand emotions but lack an emotional response.

Girls with autism often mask or camouflage their symptoms, which can lead to social inclusion but also high levels of stress and poor mental health. This masking can result in higher rates of suicide attempts among autistic girls compared to boys.