From LifeHacker (http://lifehacker.com/)
What Is Empathy?
Empathy is one of those words we hear all the time, yet many of us would struggle to define it clearly.
We know empathy matters. We know it helps relationships, strengthens communication, and reduces conflict. But what exactly is empathy?
At The Empathy Set®, we define empathy as:
“The need for oneself and others to understand and share another's feelings and needs from their perspective, communicating this understanding with sensitivity, and responding compassionately.”
Empathy is more than simply understanding another person's point of view. It involves genuine perception, carefully noticing what another person may be experiencing, combined with deep imagination, our ability to picture what life might be like from their perspective rather than our own.
Importantly, empathy is not agreement. It is not fixing. It is not advice. And it is not taking responsibility for another person's emotions.
Instead, empathy asks us to become curious.
What might this person be feeling?
What might matter to them right now?
What need, value, hope, or concern might be shaping their experience?
This short animated video offers one of the clearest introductions to empathy that I've come across. In just a few minutes, it explores what empathy is, why it matters, and how it helps us move from assumption and judgment toward understanding and connection.
As our world becomes increasingly polarized and divided, empathy may be one of the most important skills we can cultivate. It reminds us that behind every opinion, criticism, position, or behavior is a human being trying to meet important needs.
The more sincerely we ask, "What is it like to be this person right now?" the more empathy grows.
What is Empathy?