Brené Brown on Empathy

Empathy is feeling with people.

There are four qualities of empathy:

1. Perspective-taking - the ability to take the perspective of another person
2. Staying out of judgment 
3. Recognising emotion in other people
4. Communicating back the emotion you see

Empathy is different to sympathy.  Empathy creates connection while sympathy drives connection.

Empathy is climbing down to the other person's level and seeing the world from their perspective. Sympathy is viewing the person from your own perspective.

An empathic response rarely starts with "At least..." to explore the "silver lining".

"I had a miscarriage"

"At least you know you can get pregnant."

"I think my marriage is falling apart."

"At least you have a marriage."