Obviously we all know ourselves better than anyone else, and it doesn't even come close. But, because I don't know other people deep and personally, its hard for me to view them as real person with their own individual lives, problems, excitements, and thoughts. The best 'other' (that I feel is real) is my brother, whom I know very well and is close in age.
I don't think this is extreme and I don't think this is a unique case to me. I'm sure many others feel the same way. As much as I disagree, its as if we are in a 'sim' and others are characters.
I want to be a doctor, but to truly empathize with someone, I need to be able to view them as a person. Right now, its almost as if people are talking mannequins. And, the more different they are from me, the harder it is. I'm a male, and I can't even imagine what any of my female friends' lives are like, and its even harder to see them as someone with equivalent lows, highs, and perhaps an even more complicated life with its own nuances.
When you see another person, what do you think to yourself? Maybe when you see your friends, patients, family members, strangers… I'm a visual and mental learner, so it'll help for me to hear your thoughts and feelings when interacting with someone, so that I can change my mindset to think to same way.
TLDR its hard to view other people as complex human beings