Personally, I feel like low empathy is a sign of low intelligence ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ Emotions control so much of human behaviour so if you can't understand yours or others you won't be able to solve any problems with a human element.

I’m fairly positive that my drug use in early adulthood damaged my intelligence somewhat. I am also certain that it broadened my perspective and improved my ability to understand others. Good trade imo.

I mean, my empathy causes me a lot of stress. I'll take the intelligence.

Reduce my empathy for extra intelligence. Kill two birds with one stone.

Less empathy, more happy, easy choice.

I'd vote to increase my intelligence, but I don't have empathy to reduce.

Taravangian?

I'd give up natural empathy to gain extra natural intelligence. Of course I assume with the intelligence I could be empathetic at will. And I could turn off empathy when it was inconvenient.

For autistic people this really isn't much of a paradox, I've had to learn empathetic skills as an adult because they don't come naturally anyway. So give me more intelligence all of it!

May I have some happiness instead?

I don't feel like I'm lacking either all that much. If anything, having too much is an impediment in life. Less intelligent people don't need to worry so much, and sociopaths don't have a care in the world.

I would sacrifice both for more strength and charisma, letting me qualify for a paladin multiclass