Empathy is defined as __________.

Empathy is fundamentally about the capacity to understand and share the feelings and perspectives of another person. It involves recognizing emotions, experiences, and circumstances from someone else's viewpoint, often referred to as "putting yourself in someone else's shoes." This definition highlights the emotional and cognitive aspects of empathy, emphasizing the importance of connection and understanding in interpersonal relationships.

While effective negotiation can benefit from empathetic skills, and providing solutions may sometimes require an understanding of others' feelings, these abilities do not capture the essence of empathy itself. Clear communication is also valuable, but it does not inherently require the deeply relational quality that empathy entails. Therefore, the correct understanding of empathy is closely aligned with the ability to resonate with and appreciate another person's experience.