“I’m never taking my girlfriend to another tear-jerker movie again — EVER! She cried through the whole thing! Geeze! Doesn’t she know the characters aren’t REAL?”
“I can’t hide my diagnosis from my sister. She’ll know the minute she sees me that something’s wrong and within five minutes, she’ll drag it out of me.”
“My Mom’s got eyes in the back of her head! How does she always know what’s going on?”
Empathy: Intuitive, Sensing and Feeling
Strengths: Sensing and Feeling
Is there someone in your life who cries at the drop of the hat? Who can’t sit through a movie without crying? Maybe they seem to be able to read your mind, or can instantly walk into a room and “read” the situation? Perhaps they are drained by the end of the day, having been plugged into the hype and emotions over the latest Big Project at work? Or maybe you have a friend you haven’t seen in a while — who you’re avoiding. You know they’ll see right through you at the thing you’re struggling with, and you don’t really want them to know…
You may have someone in your life with the StrengthsFinder talent theme of Empathy.
Empathy: Intuitive and Perceptive
Those high in Empathy are intuitive and perceptive when it comes to the feelings of other people. They KNOW how you feel. In fact, they know how you feel so well, that they can feel what YOU feel. It’s as if they have a Super Power and are able to read the internal energy of the people around them. Whether angry or sad, frustrated or joyful, they can sense it without you ever having to say a word. People are drawn to them because they know that their feelings are understood. They are not necessarily sympathetic, nor do they agree with you, or your story. But they do understand how you feel about it — truly!
Be careful: they can tell if you’re lying, too, or withholding information. And they can’t tell you how they do it! They may never mention it, either — especially if they sense it will add no value to the circumstances at hand.
Those with Empathy know how others feel.
Love the Empathy
My friend, Sal, is high in Empathy. He works at a major tech corporation and handles customer service problems over the phone for people hundreds of miles away. Often, a client will call in and initially be irate. Sal is quickly able to sense and feel their frustration and seems to know exactly what do say to get them calm enough to walk them through a resolution.
Sal also plays in the occasional poker tournament and often wins. It would seem that he has an unfair advantage! He can detect subtle changes in the energy at the poker table when his opponents place their bets, and he knows whether or not to call their bluff or fold. Even though his competitors wear sunglasses during play to hide their eyes, he has a “knowing” about the way they play that gives him an inside edge.
When dealing with someone who is strong in Empathy, ask yourself: Where do we need to strengthen relationships through the sensing and feeling power of an empath?
For more information on all your StrengthsFinder needs, go to www.GallupStrengthsCenter.com.
Latest posts by Rhonda Knight Boyle (see all)
- Strengths Activation Show 60 – Guests Sakira Baez and Dr. Shauna T Sobers - April 5, 2019
- Develop Your Empathy Talent - November 23, 2018
- Develop Your Adaptability Talent - November 20, 2018
