 (Nick Galifianakis for The Post) | Adapted from an online discussion. Dear Carolyn: I've been with my boyfriend for about a year now. When he's going through a particularly tough time, I find I have endless compassion for him. When he's going through something more minor, though — a headache, say — I'm able to go through the motions of being compassionate but feel mildly annoyed/frustrated/disappointed by the situation on the inside, and lack that real feeling of empathy. Is this … a problem? I want him to feel loved and supported, but sometimes I just can't muster the energy to really feel the nice things I'm saying. This happened pre-pandemic, so it's not just stress. I'm not sure if I should talk to him about it (he can't do anything about it), or find some way muster more empathy, or just accept it and move on. — Missing Empathy | 
