Empathy is feeling the emotions of others along with the ability to judge what the other person might be thinking and feeling. In everyday speech, empathy is most often defined by metaphors: “put yourself in someone else’s place” or “look through someone else’s eyes.”
Compassion for yourself. It doesn’t fix our problems or magically satisfies all of our needs. But it helps us feel connected and centered within ourselves. It can also be a tool for more honest self-expression. Although this does not eliminate problems, it makes them easier to transfer.
Cognitive empathy: means knowing what the other person is feeling and what they may be thinking. It is helpful in negotiations or in motivating people. People who have good cognitive empathy (also called point of view acceptance) have been found to make good leaders or managers because they can motivate people to do their best.
Emotional empathy: means to physically feel together with another person, as if their emotions were contagious. It makes a person well attuned to the emotional world of others. There is a deficiency associated with emotional empathy when people cannot manage their emotions. It can be seen as psychological exhaustion leading to burnout, commonly seen in professionals. The drastic detachment that doctors cultivate is one way to avoid burnout. But when detachment leads to indifference, it can seriously interfere with professional care.
Compassionate empathy: The type of empathy, also commonly known as empathic concern, means understanding the person’s situation and feeling along with them and acting spontaneously to help them if needed. Empathic concern is a vital component of an empathic response in a given situation. It is the most sought-after type for people who work as social volunteers. Read more here in this article.
Empathy is inherent in people to varying degrees, and therefore we are affected differently by the situation of others. It is one of the essential human traits, so much so that anyone who does not have it seems dangerous or mentally ill to us.
Its inherent human can be ascertained by the way young children react to the emotions of family members. Apart from children, some pets also express anxiety when family members are distressed. Pets hover around and lay their heads on their owners’ laps, proving that even animals have empathy.
The skill of empathy, although we inherit it, can be developed, which plays an important role in our success in these areas. The role of empathy in a person’s life depends on their understanding of it, which varies widely. However, empathy reflects what is perceived and creates an atmosphere of support or validation.
Summary
It allows you to understand the thoughts and resulting feelings they create in others. Empathy also causes a person to respond empathetically to the feelings of others so that they can gain their trust, further enhancing communication.
