Understanding other people’s feelings without judging them is known as empathy. It is not always easy to understand the motives behind the actions of the other, but here we want to help you achieve it.
Identify your emotions
To understand the feelings of another it is important to know our own emotions. As an exercise, identify each of the sensations you have during the day and analyze what causes them and how they affect you. The clearer it is for you what you feel and what it causes in your personality, the better you will be able to understand the behavior of others.
Remember your own experiences
The level of empathy of people is related to the multiplicity of personal experiences that each person has lived. If someone has already experienced a breakup, you probably have a better understanding of someone going through the same thing. It is important that if you have never experienced a painful or joyful event, you try to understand what you would feel and, therefore, what the other may be thinking.
Don’t react right away
If you don’t share a person’s perspective, try to think about the reasons before making a judgment. Reacting immediately can hurt others.
Listen carefully
If the other person is expressing how they feel, listen carefully to what they have to say. Sometimes while one person is talking, the other is thinking about what to answer without paying real attention. Don’t worry about it, better listen.
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attentive posture
Gestures, voice, and general body expression can denote an interest that helps the other person feel comfortable expressing their emotions. Similarly, try to observe the other’s body language to understand her emotional state. Not only words indicate emotions.
Avoid being the expert
Listening without interrupting generates empathy with the person who tells their emotions. Also, there’s no need to provide advice for everything they say, you may as well listen without commenting if you don’t think you have good advice. In any case, when you give your opinion, do it in a respectful and constructive way. Don’t try to impose your perspective.
accept the differences
Being empathic implies understanding that we are not all the same. When a person tells you something that happens in his life and you don’t agree, he tries not to judge. Remember to be patient and tolerant with others and also with yourself.