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I don't mean someone who lacks emotion because they "don't care", but because either they can't feel emotion or the emotional response is delayed because of a genetic disposition.
Maybe there is an appropriate medical term that could be used.
The word stoic is recommended from a similar question, for example - but that question and its answers relate to an individuals ability to endure/tolerate a situation or simply ignore their emotions.
Blunted affect may be the noun, but if you're looking for an adjective to describe someone like that the term is affectless.
affectless : showing or expressing no emotion; also : unfeeling
The medical term is blunted affect. A more extreme case is called a flat affect.
From Wikipedia:
Blunted affect is the scientific term describing a lack of emotional reactivity on the part of an individual. It is manifest as a failure to express feelings either verbally or non-verbally, even when talking about issues that would normally be expected to engage the emotions. Expressive gestures are rare and there is little animation in facial expression or in vocal inflection
Reminds me of a line in Shawshank Redemption.
You strike me as a particularly icy and remorseless man, Mr. Dufresne.
"Cold" (or more poetically, "Icy", as used in the movie) can mean you are not easily affected emotionally, and do not show emotions.
If you're looking for a term to use in everyday conversation (your request for an appropriate medical term aside), it's common to describe someone as being emotionally detached.
Possible synonyms:
Are you thinking of Asperger's?
Asperger syndrome or Asperger's syndrome or Asperger disorder is an autism spectrum disorder that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests
How about nonchalant, indifferent, stoic, expressionless or unconcerned? I am one of those people you describe, and I find these words often describe me quite accurately.
Related to the medical term "blunted affect"
Dysthymia: a mood disorder that has a number of typical characteristics: low energy and drive, low self-esteem, and a low capacity for pleasure in everyday life [...] They will usually find little pleasure in usual activities and pastimes
is a personality construct characterized by the sub-clinical inability to identify and describe emotions in the self. The core characteristics of alexithymia are marked dysfunction in emotional awareness, social attachment, and interpersonal relating. Furthermore, individuals suffering from alexithymia also have difficulty in distinguishing and appreciating the emotions of others, which is thought to lead to unempathic and ineffective emotional responding
Adjectives to describe someone who is emotionally shallow and lacking in empathy
Insensitive lacking feeling or tact = so insensitive as to laugh at someone in pain
Non empathic to be incapable of recognizing emotions that are being experienced by another person.
Emotionless showing, having, or expressing no emotion
Callous 2. a feeling no emotion b : feeling or showing no sympathy for others
Asperger's is cetainly a good medical diagnosis of the described behaviour. In the vulgate, it could perhaps be "aloof." Pretentiously, you could use use "unclubbable."
Robotic. Zero ability to show emotional highs or lows. Not able to understand or meet the emotional needs of others.
In extreme cases, the word you want could be "sociopath" or "psychopath". Despite fictional portrayals of "psychos" as being twitching, gibbering wrecks, in reality they tend to be very controlled and normal-seeming (hence the cliché of "He seemed so normal- kept himself to himself... " and other bystander-generated camera-fodder).
apathetic apəˈθɛtɪk/Submit adjective showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern. "an apathetic electorate" synonyms: uninterested, indifferent, unconcerned, unmoved, unresponsive, impassive, passive, detached, uninvolved, disinterested, unfeeling, unemotional, emotionless, dispassionate, lukewarm, cool, uncaring, half-hearted, lackadaisical, non-committal
Psychopathic or sociopathic are both descriptors of people without normal emotion.
