Empathy

Empathy is the ability to genuinely relate with others’ emotions. It came from the German word “einfuhlung” which means “feeling in”. A person who demonstrates empathy can easily understand the situation of the other individual. Daniel Goleman, known for his theory on emotional intelligence, pointed out three kinds of empathy: emotional, cognitive, and concern. In cognitive empathy, you are knowing how another person is feeling and thinking.

For instance, you are looking at a situation from the perspective of the other individual. In emotional empathy, you are able to physically feel what the other person is going through. For example, you also feel sad and become teary-eyed when your friend is talking about her problem. In empathic concern, you become compassionate and effortlessly sense what someone needs from you. For instance, a mother can easily sense if her son is scared and needs comfort. Also, efficient leaders can keenly perceive whether an employee needs to take a break or to be pushed further.