Empathy: small word with a giant meaning.

Empathy.

What is empathy? Is it while listening to the other person assuring him that you do understand what he mean since you've gone through it? OR is it just listening to him talk while you keep silent, letting him vent all his anger and sort his thinking? Which is the proper Empathetic listening?

They say it's best to deal with people empathetically, but what is empathetically? Why are there so many attempts at it which ends up making the person trying feel exhausted and fake?

We all try too hard. Once we decide on something we give in too much, so much so we become far from even natural. We have to understand that even as we try our best we are entitled to being ourselves still.

Peharps the best answer to this question is, if you are the guy with the problems confessing it, what response do you want from the guy listening to you. That would probably be what the perfect solution is.