Empathy is an interpersonal skill that can be viewed as part of emotional intelligence. Psychotherapist Carl Rogers wrote that empathy could enhance relationships and recommended it for ordinary people particularly politicians and therapists.
Studies support its value. Health professionals who show high levels of empathy tend to get better adherence to treatment from their patients and better patient outcomes. And beyond health care, empathy is associated with better personal relationships and more successful social behaviour.(political leaders who show empathy can sell policies to voters)
In its most complete form, empathy involves understanding the emotion of another person, feeling the emotion and responding appropriately to it.
These three aspects of empathy constitute empathic cognition, emotions and behaviour.
