Nice first post; welcome to Steemit! You may also want to try an #IntroduceYourself post which are popular here.
Your post reminded me of one of my favorite boos, The Blank Slate, by Steven Pinker.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blank_Slate and a summary article at http://stevenpinker.com/files/pinker/files/the_blank_slate_general_psychologist.pdf
Human nature, and how we learn and react to others are fascinating things to contemplate! It is true that you can't really understand a person until you "walk a mile in their shoes" but if you have had similar experiences, you should be able to relate enough to empathize to some degree. For example, if you never had a donut before but you've had a cherry turnover and someone tells you the ways in which they are similar, you'll have some level of understanding of what a donut is. Or if you are outgoing but get locked out of your house in your pajamas, you might get a little insight into social anxiety. :P
Just throwing out some thoughts to add to the discussion. Best wishes to you, and I hope you post more here at Steemit!