What is the ability to identify with and understand another person's feelings?

• A. Empathy
• B. Sympathy
• C. Pity
• D. Compassion

Answer: (A)

Empathy is the ability to identify with and understand another person's feelings. It means you can see things from their perspective and share in their emotional experience, which helps you respond in a way that truly fits what they’re going through. Sympathy, by contrast, is feeling concern or sorrow for someone without necessarily sharing their feelings or viewpoint. Pity often carries a sense of looking down on someone or feeling sorry for them from a distance. Compassion involves caring about someone’s suffering and wanting to help, but it may not require you to fully share their emotional experience. Because empathy centers on both recognizing and resonating with another’s emotions, it best matches the description.