What is the definition of empathy?

The definition of empathy as the feeling that you understand and share another person's emotions captures the essence of what it means to truly connect with another individual’s experiences. Empathy goes beyond simply feeling pity or sympathy for someone, which merely acknowledges their distress without shared emotional understanding.

Being empathetic involves putting oneself in another person's shoes and feeling their emotions as if they were your own. This connection fosters a deeper bond and allows individuals to communicate and support one another effectively. It is an essential skill in many fields, especially in corrections and social services, where understanding the emotional states of others can significantly impact the effectiveness of interventions and support.

Other options do not accurately define empathy. Feeling sorry for someone lacks the depth of emotional sharing and connection that empathy entails. Methods to teach emotional stability and strategies to avoid emotional involvement are focused on different aspects of emotional intelligence and interpersonal relations and do not encompass the shared experience intrinsic to empathy.