FWIW there’s actually proper scientific research that indicates that depressed people are better at correctly identifying sadness in people’s faces in photos.
Depressed people also make more frequent correct predictions of negative outcomes.
The rest is less clear (there’s not strong evidence that experience of depression makes it easier to assess in others).
Depression can either heighten or weaken empathy, and depressed people project their own feelings at least as easily as the non-depressed.
But IMO the sad faces research alone should be enough to dislodge your “absolutely”. It is at least complicated.
FWIW there’s actually proper scientific research that indicates that depressed people are better at correctly identifying sadness in people’s faces in photos.
Depressed people also make more frequent correct predictions of negative outcomes.
The rest is less clear (there’s not strong evidence that experience of depression makes it easier to assess in others).
Depression can either heighten or weaken empathy, and depressed people project their own feelings at least as easily as the non-depressed.
But IMO the sad faces research alone should be enough to dislodge your “absolutely”. It is at least complicated.