From the book ‘The Resilience Factor’ by Karen Reivich & Andrew Shatte (p.44):
Empathy is the ability to “read other people’s cues to their psychological and emotional states. Some of us are adept at interpreting what psychologists call the non-verbals of others – their facial expressions, their tone of voice, their body language – and determining what people are thinking and feeling.”
This factor is in particular important in relationships as we all need to feel understand and valued at different levels depending on individuals. Empathy is also a key element to build rapport with others.