Empathy is best defined as?

Empathy is best defined as the ability to understand and experience another person's emotions. It involves more than just recognizing what someone else is feeling; it encompasses an emotional connection that enables an individual to resonate with another's emotional state. This capacity is fundamental in social interactions and relationships, as it fosters compassion, support, and effective communication.

When a person can empathize with someone else, they can provide emotional support or assistance that is more attuned to that individual's needs, creating a deeper bond and understanding between them. This quality is crucial in various contexts, including personal relationships, clinical settings, and even in workplace dynamics.

The other options, while they each touch on relevant psychological concepts, do not accurately capture the essence of empathy. Controlling one's own emotions refers more to emotional regulation rather than understanding others, pursuing personal well-being is about self-care and self-interest, and compassionate detachment implies a distance from emotional engagement, which contradicts the interconnectedness inherent in empathy.