This resonated in a way that I rarely see. I'm an empath and have scared a number of people because of that gift. My empathy manifests in one of three ways typically.

The first way I get, sometimes intense, feelings of what needs to be done or said. If it is something that needs to be done, it's almost like a clear plan is laid out or the path is highlighted. When it comes to what needs to be said, it's akin to channeling someone else. The words just come to me, unprompted. I chalk that up to God.

The second way is I've always had a talent for knowing when someone was either lying, holding something back or feeling intense emotions. This is the one that usually scares people the most because they think I know things I shouldn't. To me, it's obvious and I don't understand why others don't see it and I can't explain to them how I know. Tied into this is if I meet someone, I sometimes have a mental picture of who they are. These pictures tell me things about their personality. Sometimes it hints at things that have happened to them before (trauma etc) and gives me a good idea of who they are and how to handle them.

The final way is the strangest one. If I look at a problem, I sometimes can 'see' the outcome. The way the future 'feels' and it's shape. It's not something I bring up often since folks find it unnerving, especially when it comes out that I'm right. Friends have often asked how could I know it would work out that way and all I can do is shrug and tell them its how it felt. Or make a joke of how I'm just magic like that. It's gotten to a point where those who are close to me don't even question it when I get a feeling. They just go along and it has never turned out poorly.

The difference between your analogy and my real life experience is, sometimes I know things that I don't have experience with. Things I can't explain or just shouldn't know. But I fully understand the idea of folks calling your insane or just not believing you. Noah was a conspiracy theorist until it started to rain.