What is Empathy?

Empathy is defined as the ability to put yourself in another's place and share their feelings, experiences, and concerns. It is derived from the ancient Greek word "empatheia" which which consist of the words "en" which means "in" or "at" and "pathos" which means passion or suffering. So from this etymology we can understand the meaning of the word to be or share the same feeling with someone or something.

Empathy involves the ability to learn to identify, interpret, reflect, and respond to other people's emotions. It implies the ability to sympathize with or share their feelings, and even to re-evaluate one's own values in light of theirs.

It is widely accepted that you cannot become truly empathic if you do not have empathy for other people in the first place. This is also why we see empathy here more as a skill although it is something you could work to improve or develop.

Why empathy is important

Empathy helps us avoid stereotypes and feelings of superiority, enabling us to form meaningful bonds with others. Being in touch with our emotions can enable you to deal with problems more effectively. Once you develop empathy, you start to understand others’ situations and you can empathize with people who are different from you.

An emotionally intelligent person can learn to recognize and use the emotions of others as a means of persuasion and forming relationships. Empathy is also one of the critical skills that make it possible to make meaningful connections and build relationships. When you share empathy with someone, you are able to put yourself in the other person’s situation and thus have an effective communication.

Actions that help build empathy

Below we share some practices you could consider to develop your empathy

o   Knowing the audience and their backgrounds: The ability to relate to people on an emotional level requires that you know your audience well and what they are currently struggling with or facing. You need to consider this in a broader sense and not only around the topic you have currently in mind. 

o   Understanding their experiences, feelings, and perspectives: Here is all about emotional intelligence, being able to put yourself in other people’s shoes, understand them better, and feel the emotion behind what they are feeling. 

o   Making time for extended periods of time with the person or people you are trying to empathize with: Time is an important parameter in order to reach the level where you can feel in tune with others' emotions and understand them. It takes skills like listening and reflecting as well as expressing calm emotions and all of them require time in order to be carried effectively.

The other side of emphathy

Although empathy can, in general, be seen as a positive skill and strength there is also what is called the "Downside of Empathy." This refers to our tendency to automatically share other people's emotions, desires, and goals. This tendency can be a good thing, but only when the emotional states and goals of others actually fit well with our own. Here are a few problems we often encounter with empathy: Empathy comes with a built-in bias towards approval. Even when someone says something deeply upsetting to us or against our values, we might disregard this because we want to be empathetic. In addition, another area where empathy might be misleading our judgment is when it comes to collaborating with strangers, with whom one is not always sure how much should reveal to gain their trust. So overall, having empathy can help you and others improve your relationships, lead more rewarding lives, and enjoy happiness and purpose, however, we shall always be mindful not to allow this to blind our own needs.