One of the most underrated concepts that most people overlook is empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings, thoughts and experiences of others – to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Empathy allows you to see the world through the other person’s eyes. Unlike sympathy (feeling pity for another) that says “ahhh, I’m so sorry that happened to you,” empathy says “ahhh, I can really feel your pain.”

Developing Empathy

Certainly, we are all going to have our transgressions, but an empathetic approach will limit the negative impact of transgressions and yield more peace of mind. Being empathetic is an important aspect of building and sustaining healthy relationships. Empathy helps us to connect with others in a genuine way, not forced. It can be tricky at times, but being empathetic helps to reduce conflict and stress while increasing emotional awareness and connectiveness in relationships. Empathy helps to build rapport in relationships where another person feels heard and validated through your words or body language.

Without a doubt, you will always encounter people who simply do not care about your feelings, only their own. Of course, it is difficult to be empathetic towards anyone who blatantly disrespects you, but this does not mean you should approach life negatively. Try to remain in an empathetic mindset when encountering even these types of people. It will surely be critical to your own mental health. Do not let the lack of empathy in others to derail your good intentions.

With empathy your intentions towards others are not to be harmful, but harmless. By taking an empathetic stroll in someone else’s shoes you can detach from the learned narcissism (the I, Me & My mentality) we all are accustomed to and approach your relationships more positively and kinder.

 Importance of Empathy in Romantic Relationships

Romantic relationships are more than shared likes and dislikes. Empathetically caring as much about the well-being of your partner as you care about your own well-being, makes the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships. Being empathetic helps to build and sustain healthier, stronger romantic relationships in which individuals experience respect, individuality and genuine concern.

Empathy Matters

By sending a message to others that you respect them as a human being and not some tangible object standing before them, you naturally disarm their defenses, and begin speaking to the authentic parts of them. Wanting to have a good heart and treating people with dignity is something we should all strive for on a consistent basis. If this up-tempo world is to progress, we all need to do our part by approaching it empathetically to create and sustain stronger and healthier relationships.