Empathy ties in with another trait of mine: indecision. I can see all sides of an argument or a problem, weigh each of their merits, again and again, a circular, neverending process that leads most often to frustration rather than to a decision. I've also gotten involved with a few people who were all too glad to let me sort out their lives, and surrendered all decisions, responsibilities to me. Backing out of those was sticky. And in more than one case, unpleasant.

It's not an only child trait, because I'm number 4 of 6 and I'm very much like this too, especially the sorting other people out part..