Empathy: quick facts
Empathy is the capacity to sense and share another person's emotional state, in effect feeling something of what they feel. It includes an emotional side, in which one resonates with another's mood, and a cognitive…
Category
Complex & secondary emotions
Valence
Neutral
Emotion family / blend
Tenderness
Typical triggers
Others' emotions, shared experiences, listening closely, imagining a viewpoint
How it's expressed
Mirrored expressions, attentive listening, nodding, matched tone
Sources: American Psychological Association — APA Dictionary: emotion; Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley — Emotions; Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions (Robert Plutchik) — overview. Educational information only — not medical or psychological advice. See our sources & fact-check policy.