Characteristics of assertive and empathetic people

Are you an assertive or empathetic person? We hear a lot about these terms and the techniques we can carry out to develop them, but do you know what the true meaning of each of them is and what relationship exists Between both? The truth is that these are two social skills that all of us can develop and empower throughout our lives and that, in general terms, help us to improve our relationship with others people. Assertiveness allows us to express ourselves clearly, directly and appropriately in any context and Empathy allows us to understand others and put ourselves in their place even if we do not share their points of view. sight. Are both skills complementary? And, if so, how is an assertive and empathetic person? Next, in this Psychology-Online article, we are going to answer all these questions and show what are the main characteristics of assertive and empathetic people, pay attention!

Index

1. What is assertiveness
2. What is empathy
3. Assertiveness and empathy: ideal communication
4. Characteristics of assertive and empathetic people

First of all, let's see what the definition of assertiveness. This term refers to the social ability that a person develops internally and that allows communicate effectively With other people, he knows how to express his feelings, thoughts and opinions in the most appropriate way and at the appropriate time without any type of hostility or aggressiveness.

An assertive person has the ability to be clear, frank and direct in any social situation, being respectful and without hurting the feelings of others at any time. Likewise, it also reacts and appropriately manages any conflict or discussion that it has to face.

Being assertive gives the person who possesses said ability Benefits as the following:

• Personal satisfaction in carrying out things with sufficient capacity.
• Increased self-confidence and self-confidence.
• Improved self-esteem.
• Proactivity.
• Efficient communication with all types of people.
• Social acceptance and respect for others.
• Strengthening of personal rights.

In the following Psychology-Online article, we show some of the most effective techniques for developing assertiveness skills.

For its part, empathy is another personal skill that allows a person to have the ability to put oneself in the place of the other and understand and experience their points of view without necessarily adopting that perspective.

Empathic people listen to others with attention and are able to capture a lot of information about the other through, not only their words, but also their tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures, body posture, etc. From all this information, they can intuit what that person is feeling and, in addition, they have the ability to influence or modulate on the emotions of others, trying to communicate and transmit those words that they know that at that moment can help the other.

In short, they are people who care a lot about others, know how to listen, respectful, flexible of thought, supportive and with a great capacity for self-criticism.

In the following Psychology-Online article, we explain in detail what are the differences between assertiveness and empathy so that you better understand both concepts.

Once both terms are defined, we must clarify the following:

• Both assertiveness and empathy are two social skills that all human beings can develop throughout our lives, either intentionally or spontaneously from our own daily experiences.
• There is no rational exclusivity between the two, that is, a person can be assertive but not empathetic and vice versa.
• They are totally complementary social skills that the same individual can possess. In a way, we can consider that empathy corresponds to the most human and emotional assertiveness.

When both abilities come together and complement each other to perfection in a person, you can achieve a ideal communication model with the rest of the people. And, on the one hand, you have the clarity and security of assertiveness, which is key to expressing and satisfying your own needs, and, on the other hand, you have the understanding and generosity of empathy, which allows you to practice active listening and help the neighbor.

We can conclude, then, that empathic assertiveness It is the ability that allows us both to understand and understand the needs of other people, at the same time that it allows us to be understood and understood by others. Next, we show what are the main characteristics of assertive and empathetic people:

1. They accept each person as they are, with their strengths and weaknesses. They are very respectful.
2. They do not try to project their views or way of life onto others.
3. They are understanding, have a conciliatory attitude and are open to understanding.
4. They know how to correctly manage conflicts, putting the necessary means for their solution. For them, their purpose in a conflict is to reach an agreement and find the best way to solve the situation.
5. They rely on communication as the best method to understand and understand the needs of others, as well as to know how to act later. They prefer to resolve and deal with issues and conflicts face to face.
6. They avoid hurting the feelings of others, therefore, first, they communicate recognition towards the other person and, a posteriori, they state their needs, rights and opinions without any type of hostility or aggressiveness. They practice active listening, that is, first, they try to put themselves in the place of the other to understand them, but later they also claim their rights and express their thoughts to be equally heard and understood.
7. When they communicate with someone, in addition to paying close attention to what that person says, they also take into account how they express themselves, what tone of voice they use and what body language they adopt.
8. During conversations, they avoid taking their opinions or reflections to the personal terrain and focus the dialogue on events. Thus, they prevent the other person from feeling attacked or hurt by value judgments. They do not incur disqualifications or provocations to disarm the arguments of others.
9. They are very grateful people.
10. It is not difficult for them to apologize or accept their mistakes.
11. They feel comfortable expressing their feelings and thoughts and they always do so in a firm, reasoned and justified way.
12. They transmit kindness, optimism and good energy to the people around them.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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