The ability to understand and share what another person is feeling, almost as if you were in their place. It goes beyond just knowing their situation to emotionally connecting with it.
From Greek 'empatheia' (passion, physical affection), from 'en' (in) + 'pathos' (feeling, suffering). The term was adapted into German as 'Einfühlung' (feeling into) in aesthetics, then borrowed into English psychology in the early 1900s. Its meaning narrowed to sharing another’s emotional experience.
Empathy is literally 'feeling in'—your nervous system models another person’s state by partially copying it. That’s why hearing someone cry can make your own throat tighten. Language captures this strange mental mirroring with a tiny preposition hidden in the word.
Empathy has been associated with feminized roles such as caregiving and teaching, which has contributed to these roles being undervalued and underpaid. At the same time, women’s and marginalized people’s empathy has often been exploited as unpaid emotional labor.
Treat empathy as a valued skill for all genders, and avoid assuming that some genders are naturally more or less empathetic.
["understanding of others’ feelings","perspective‑taking","compassion"]
Many women scholars and practitioners have advanced empathy research and practice, especially in psychology, education, and conflict resolution.
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