Emotional empathy for another person is called. What is the difference between empathy and empathy? How empathy relates to psychotherapy

Each of us is more or less prone to empathy for others. It is not surprising that we seek to somehow alleviate the pain of another person if we see that he or she is really suffering emotionally as a result of some kind of destructive event. However, there is a significant difference between empathizing with the problems of others and empathizing with those problems. Empathizing, we treat the problems of a person with understanding, strive to help and try to do everything possible in our power. In addition, empathy involves the ability to feel internal state another person, figuratively speaking, put yourself in his place and see the problem through his eyes. Therefore, in order to really help someone, sympathy is not enough, you still need to empathize with his problems with him.
However, how do you do it right? How to express your desire to help so as not to offend a person's feelings? What exactly should we say? Should we just limit ourselves to the words "I'm so sorry ..." or "I sympathize with you" and leave the person alone with their feelings, or should we do something more?
Empathy and empathy are not synonymous, although people often use them interchangeably. When you empathize with someone, you feel the situation they are in. You understand this. It is a mental process that requires certain emotions. Not surprisingly, this is a skill that is not innate, but acquired with age and maturity. And empathy does not require any knowledge or emotional sense of connection and depends a lot on brightness. mental perception... This is why even a dog or cat can sense when you are sad and try to cuddle you in every possible way to distract from sad thoughts. Even animals are capable of empathy, but only humans can empathize.
Even movie characters can inspire our sympathy. You may feel empathy for someone whose life experience is completely foreign to you. And you can empathize with a person only if you have already encountered something in your life similar situation because of which he suffers.
American psychologist T. Singer argues that empathy and empathy should be considered as separate processes, in particular, because each of them depends on different neurons and separate parts of the brain.
Even babies are often shown to be empathetic. Scientists have found that the "contagious" crying of newborn babies in maternity hospitals is explained by this very emotion. When one baby cries out of fear, hunger or pain, others begin to echo it. Young children, whose intelligence is not yet fully developed, are already able to show compassion. Thus, it can be argued that the ability to feel compassion for others is inherent in us by nature itself. But the ability to empathize appears in a person after receiving life experience, various life situations. As one wonderful psychologist put it, empathy is the ability to feel someone else's pain. Therefore, develop these abilities in yourself, help others when they are going through difficult times, because it is this quality that makes us human.

Empathy is the inner identification of oneself with another person, the ability for compassion, which is a gift from above. Among his family and friends, such a person is valued for being able to understand everyone. What this quality is, how it manifests itself, is described in the article.

Emotional compassion

Feelings and emotions of other people allow such a quality as emotional empathy to be imbued. This is a very important trait for supporting loved ones and friends, which greatly helps to establish positive contacts with others. Such communication is based on understanding other people at the level of the slightest changes in their facial expressions or even minor gestures.

Professionals believe that a person who is able to experience empathy sees the world through the eyes of the interlocutor and even hears the same sounds, thinks in the same way. In principle, everyone wants to have such a friend. Therefore, a logical question arises: What is empathy and who has it? This quality is predominantly present in teachers, doctors, trade workers, managers.

The pitfalls of compassion

The ability to empathize can very often be lost in childhood, when peers respond with laughter and cruelty to a child's compassion. But if he still manages to carry his character trait through the years, then this is direct evidence of a developed and kind personality.

Such a person is able to find in any passerby. This may not happen every day, but during such periods he experiences a state of deep harmony. Although the world able to injure not only in childhood, but also in adulthood. If a person does not find a response or understanding in others, then he begins to consider himself more developed in comparison with them. He feels annoyed and limits the circle of his acquaintances as much as possible.

There are people who, experiencing empathy for another person, are so carried away by his feelings that they completely immerse themselves in other people's problems and cannot stop. These individuals are better off with empathy.

There are also manipulators who are simply looking for good people. They are definitely not a threat to the empath, because he recognizes them at a deep level. But to devalue someone's story, even if it is pure manipulation, is not worth it. This step can turn the other person into a hidden ill-wisher. After all, what is empathy really? This is not a limitation, but an understanding. Therefore, it is preferable to internally stop yourself, not delve into the monologue and leave as soon as possible.

Personality traits of a sympathizer

It is somewhat difficult for a person who is able to empathize with those who speak little. But with people who want to speak, he converges easily. But the sympathizer is unable to get into the soul and hurt for a simple reason: he felt the interlocutor well and clearly understands what such a blow will become for a person. Although in reality individuals with the ability to high level mental and emotional development.

Many are afraid to get bogged down in someone else's life, but this is also impossible for a true empath. What is empathy in the first place? This is precisely understanding, and not taking on troubles and fears with the subsequent opportunity to get to the hospital. It is very important to limit yourself and in time to suppress any encroachments on

In fact, not everyone succeeds in taking the side of the interlocutor. There are people who experience their joys and sorrows inside. It is more difficult for them to show full sympathy. In addition, it is always very frustrating to see behavior that is artificially created.

What is it for

Mostly people who are able to empathize are simple and naive. But do not take this as a rule. An empath may well reveal personal traits some person with a specific purpose. For example, identify the weaknesses of the competitor of the firm in which it works.

But don't think of him as a professional psychologist. He is able to extricate himself from a difficult situation, to see everything multifaceted, but he does not know the scientific basis of what is happening, and there is no clear logical plan in his behavior.

People with empathy and compassion are able to organize supportive groups. The point of creating such a structure is in mutual assistance. But in such cases, few people take into account that the meaning of the group is exhausted after working through the unifying situation. Participants become strangers with no common themes.

This quality can help in family, friendships, at work, in unforeseen situations, with casual passers-by. In principle, being able to show a feeling of empathy without going beyond the bounds of what is permitted is also an ability from above. After all, the interlocutors, seeing a sincerely understanding face, often tend to open up and tell him many of their problems.

How Real Compassion is Shown

What is empathy? It is the ability to fully understand the other to such an extent that it excludes even the slightest possibility of condemnation. The empathic person always unites with the feelings of the narrator, looks at the world through his eyes. He does not criticize, does not say:

1. "Why, you couldn't do this and that?"
2. "Why didn't you answer him?"
3. "It was necessary this and that ..."
4. "But I would ..."

He understands that in a certain situation his interlocutor could only behave as he did in reality.

It is much more pleasant to live in a world in which they do not ask too much and understand what has been said correctly. However, it often happens that a common question for someone drives the conversation to a standstill, putting the person in an uncomfortable position. Does someone who has suffered through a solution need someone's superficial advice from the outside? Empathy is a very necessary quality that should not be completely suppressed in fear of being misunderstood. The main thing is to learn to separate yourself and the storyteller's problems by accepting his worldview.

Each person, to one degree or another, is able to feel the emotional state of another person. At the same time, a person normally realizes that this is not his experience, that he only reflects in some way the feelings of his interlocutor.

That's what it is empathy in the very general meaning this concept.

This term appeared in late XIX century, and the first definition of empathy was given by Sigmund Freud. From the Greek "ev", "em" is translated "in", and "pathos" - passion, suffering.

It would seem that a natural synonym for the Greek term in Russian can be the word "compassion", as well as the similar words "empathy", "sympathy".

However, this statement is not entirely true.

For example, any child feels and understands when his mother is very upset about some bad deed that he has done. So he came from the playground in a very dirty jacket, and his mother reproaches him with chagrin. In such a situation, children can behave in different ways. One will say sincerely: "Mom, don't be upset, let me clean my jacket myself." Another will share the mother's feelings, apologize, say that he did not think about how upset she would be, but will not offer help. The third will undress indifferently and go to the toys.

What's the matter? After all, for the third child, the mother's feelings are obvious.

Empathy is just an ability inherent in us by nature. It is associated with certain brain functions. It is thanks to this ability that a person strives for communication and is capable of it.

Just like other abilities, it needs to be developed. The development of the capacity for empathy can result in such high moral qualities person as empathy, compassion, sympathy.

When empathy we in some way identify ourselves with another person, while experiencing the same emotional state as him. Compassion- a synonym for empathy, with the connotation that it is about experiencing an unpleasant, negative quality, grief, suffering.

About feelings loved one own emotional states... This own experience is called sympathy... This concept has no explicit emotional coloring, however, most often it is also used in connection with any sorrowful conditions.

A common feature of these concepts is their focus on joint overcoming of troubles, grief, help in alleviating suffering. This help can be expressed in both verbal support and action.

This means that the child's indifferent attitude to the feelings of the mother, as a rule, indicates not his depravity, but that the parents do not develop his ability to empathy sufficiently (the reasons may be different).

Such a child has a great chance to grow up as a kind of "thick-skinned animal" that walks around the world, inadvertently hurting the feelings of other people and not noticing it. In the worst case, it is a cruel egoist. It is known that psychologists consider the lack of the ability to empathize as one of the signs of mental illness.

You can read more about nurturing empathy in the article .