Empathy: Definition, Types And Tips For Practicing (2024)

One definition of empathy is “being aware of, trying to understand or being sensitive to another’s experience” says Shoshana Belon Resnick, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist based in Orange County, California.

Empathy often refers to the ability to recognize and understand another’s emotions. It’s a complex concept that relies on multiple neural networks, and research across disciplines like psychology, social psychology and neuroscience has led to diverse definitions and ongoing discussions.

Current scientific studies and literature utilize many different definitions of empathy, according to Bhismadev Chakrabarti, Ph.D. professor of neuroscience and mental health at the University of Reading in England. “The definition that I usually go with is that empathy is a set of processes through which you understand, embody and respond to another person’s emotional or mental states,” he says.

Dr. Chakrabarti presents a scenario that illustrates empathy: When you see someone you care about feeling sad, you might try to understand their mental state and even feel their emotions yourself. Through these empathic processes, often referred to as “perspective taking” and “experience sharing,” you might arrive at your own feelings of sadness. “Empathy is a set of processes; it is not the destination” he notes.

Empathy can usually be broken down into two forms: cognitive empathy and affective empathy.

Cognitive empathy, sometimes called intellectual empathy, refers to the ability to understand another person’s thoughts, beliefs and perspectives without sharing in their emotional experience. It gives you the ability to appreciate multiple perspectives in order to enhance communication, resolve conflicts and develop tolerance for those whose views differ from your own.

Affective empathy, or emotional empathy, involves the ability to share in and understand the emotional experiences and feelings of others. Sometimes, it leads to feeling the same or similar emotions as another person. This can involve empathetic concern, or sharing feelings of distress with another person when observing their struggle, such as sadness or discomfort.

Affective empathy can develop as early as infancy and may present as a response to another’s distress, such as an infant becoming distressed upon hearing the sound of another baby’s crying.

Some psychologists recognize a third type of empathy known as compassionate empathy, which involves going beyond sharing one’s emotions to also experiencing a desire to help and support someone who is in distress and suffering. This type of empathy involves taking proactive measures to support and comfort a person in distress, according to Dr. Resnick. She illustrates this with an example: If a coworker recently lost a pet and took a day off to grieve, an act of compassionate empathy would involve not only sharing the sorrowful feelings for the loss and understanding the need for time off (perhaps because you have experienced a similar loss), but also taking a consolatory action, such as sending a sympathy card.

Empathy enables us to make emotional connections through a process of understanding, sharing and acting in concert with the emotional lives and experiences of others, while simultaneously maintaining a distinction between our own internal states, emotions and needs.

This balance is crucial; it helps us make sure others feel seen, heard and supported while preserving our capacity to take meaningful action to alleviate their suffering. This interplay between self and others is crucial to fostering social bonds and encouraging prosocial behaviors. These behaviors range from comforting or assisting someone to any voluntary action aimed at benefiting others.

Conversely, someone who exhibits a lack of empathy may display antisocial behaviors, which involve anything that could harm social cohesion or the welfare of others, such as stealing or physical assault.

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Empathy and sympathy are known to have varying definitions across different fields of study. Although they are often used interchangeably, and both prompt prosocial behaviors, they should be considered distinct concepts.

Empathy is the ability to understand another’s feelings by relating to their experience and considering their point of view, while sympathy is thought to be primarily emotional in nature, without the cognitive elements and act of perspective-taking that characterizes empathy.

“For example, I could feel empathy toward someone who is terrified of earthquakes because I have been through them and they are scary,” explains Dr. Resnick. On the other hand, “I would feel sympathy toward people living in war zones as I have never lived in a war zone, but I do feel sad for their situation,” she clarifies.

“Learning plays a major role in cognitive empathy,” highlights Dr. Chakrabarti, explaining that most aspects of empathic behavior are teachable, with the exception of emotional empathy, where you genuinely feel another’s pain.

Empathy can indeed be modeled, practiced and communicated, adds Dr. Resnick. She suggests the following strategies to enhance and practice empathy:

• Embrace growth. Be sensitive to people and situations different from your own experiences. Cultivate curiosity about their viewpoints to foster a more accurate understanding of their emotions.
• Employ active listening. Truly listen to someone else’s story, free of judgment. Empathy toward others comes when we can find some common ground.
• Model compassionate behaviors. When children are young, it is important that parents model empathy toward their children and toward others so that children can learn what empathy looks and feels like.
• Examine your own difficulties with empathy. Reflect on the obstacles hindering your ability to be sensitive to someone else’s perspective and try to understand the reasons behind them.
• Distinguish feelings from facts. While our feelings are valid, it’s crucial to understand that others’ differing emotions are equally valid and true for them. This realization can promote empathy.
• Communicate your empathy preferences. Especially in close relationships, communicate how you prefer to receive empathy, as its expression can vary based on a number of factors.

Empathy plays a pivotal role in our lives, enabling us to understand and respond to the needs and feelings of others, which is essential for maintaining social cohesion and fostering a spirit of cooperation within our society. “It’s also important to note that the way empathy is expressed can also vary across cultures, settings and relationships,” shares Dr. Resnick, noting that there is not one right way to express empathy, but it is a skill that can be practiced and cultivated.