What is Empathy?

Empathy (n): The ability to understand the feelings and perspectives of others and to use that understanding to guide one's actions.

"I want my son to be respected in his classroom not because he got a perfect score on his SAT's, not because he's the smartest kid in the class. I want him to be respected because he's the best teacher in the class; because he communicates well; because he has empathy for his peers; because he's always willing to stop what he is doing to help one of his friends." --Sal Khan, Khan Academy

"Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives." --Oprah Winfrey