Oh, I'm also empathic, which means that I'm prone to feeling whatever else people around me are feeling. It's nowhere near as cool as mind reading. Sometimes I can't tell where the negativity I'm suddenly feeling is coming from. It's more a nuisance than anything, especially around people prone to either extreme stoicism or, on the flip side, extreme emotional volatility.
But it's not 100% useless. My day job in hospice care provides opportunities to put this skill to use.