Empathy is the quality of being in tune with the emotions of others. Sometimes the term empathy refers to the ability to imagine and understand how other people might be thinking or feeling (what researchers call cognitive empathy or perspective-taking); other times it indicates the capacity to sense others’ emotions and experience feelings that mirror theirs (referred to as emotional or affective empathy).

A white teacher whose racial and economic background differs from most of his students recognizes that his ability to empathize with his students may be limited. To grow his empathy, he takes the time to get to know his students on a personal basis by asking them about their interests, their families, their hopes and dreams. He also makes an effort to spend time in the community where students live, which helps him to question his assumptions about his students, and ultimately see the tremendous strengths that they are bringing to the classroom.

Though empathy alone does not guarantee positive behavior—in fact, if other social-emotional skills are lacking, empathy can be overwhelming and counterproductive—it is often considered a vital foundation of morality and prosocial (kind and helpful) action. Empathy is what enables us to extend beyond our own point of view and truly care for each other.