Empathy
«It is through weakness and vulnerability that most of us learn empathy and compassion and discover our soul»
Desmond Tutu
Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another’s position. Definitions of empathy encompass a broad range of emotional states. Types of empathy include cognitive empathy, emotional (or affective) empathy, somatic, and spiritual empathy.
Empathy definitions encompass a broad range of phenomena, including caring for other people and having a desire to help them; experiencing emotions that match another person’s emotions; discerning what another person is thinking or feeling; and making less distinct the differences between the self and the other.
Having empathy can include having the understanding that there are many factors that go into decision making and cognitive thought processes. Past experiences have an influence on the decision making of today. Understanding this allows a person to have empathy for individuals who sometimes make illogical decisions to a problem that most individuals would respond with an obvious response. Broken homes, childhood trauma, lack of parenting and many other factors can influence the connections in the brain which a person uses to make decisions in the future. According to Martin Hoffman everyone is born with the capability of feeling empathy.
The English word empathy is derived from the Ancient Greek ἐμπάθεια (empatheia, meaning «physical affection or passion»). This, in turn, comes from ἐν (en, «in, at») and πάθος (pathos, «passion» or «suffering»). Hermann Lotze and Robert Vischer adapted the term to create the German Einfühlung («feeling into»). Edward B. Titchener translated Einfühlung into English as «empathy» in 1909. In modern Greek: εμπάθεια may mean, depending on context, prejudice, malevolence, malice, or hatred.
Source Wikipedia
Other references
Design Thinking: Getting Started with Empathy by IDF
Empathy in UX Design: What It Is and Why It’s Important by UXPlanet
UX design podcasts by UXDesign
The Art and Design of Empathy in Everyday Life by Jason Kehrer
15 TED Talks That Inspire Design Thinking by Zillion Desings
7 Books That Will Help You Develop More Empathy
How To Improve Your Empathy To Be A Better Designer by MarvelApp