Question

If you can perfectly understand *why* someone thinks a certain way, but you don&#x27;t *feel* their emotions yourself, what specific type of empathy are you using?

Accepted Answer

You are using cognitive empathy.  Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It&#x27;s often broken down into different types.  Cognitive empathy, sometimes called perspective-taking or intellectual empathy, is the capacity to understand another person&#x27;s point of view. This means you can logically grasp *why* they are thinking in a certain way, their beliefs, their motivations, and their mental framework. You can put yourself in their shoes intellectually, understanding their reasoning and thought processes.  This is distinct from emotional empathy, which is the ability to *feel* what another person is feeling, to share their emotions.  If you understand *why* someone is sad because their pet died, but you don&#x27;t feel sadness yourself, that&#x27;s cognitive empathy. You comprehend their grief based on logic and understanding of their situation and emotional responses, but you don&#x27;t experience the emotional resonance of sadness within yourself.  Another related concept is compassionate empathy, where understanding and feeling leads to a desire to help.  However, the question specifically describes understanding the *why* without feeling the emotions, which precisely defines cognitive empathy.

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If you can perfectly understand *why* someone thinks a certain way, but you don't *feel* their emotions yourself, what specific type of empathy are you using?

If you can perfectly understand why someone thinks a certain way, but you don't feel their emotions yourself, what specific type of empathy are you using?