Characteristics of Assertive and Empathetic People

Are you an assertive or empathetic person? We hear a lot about these terms and the techniques that we can use to develop them, but do you know what the true meaning of each of them is and what relationship exists between the two? The truth is that these are two social skills that all of us can develop and enhance throughout our lives and that, in general terms, help us improve our relationships with other 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. Are both skills complementary? And, if so, what is an assertive and empathetic person like? Next, in this PsychologyFor article, we are going to answer all these questions and show what the main characteristics of assertive and empathetic people pay attention!

What is assertivene

First of all, let’s see what the definition of assertiveness This term refers to the social skill that a person develops internally and that allows them communicate in an effective way With other people, you know how to express your 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, he also reacts and appropriately manages any conflict or discussion he has to face.

Being assertive provides the person who has said ability benefits as the following:

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

In the following PsychologyFor article, we show some of the most effective techniques to develop the capacity for assertiveness.

What is empathy

For its part, empathy It is another personal skill that allows a person to have the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and understand and experience their points of view without necessarily adopting that perspective.

Empathetic people listen to others carefully and are able to capture a lot of information about others 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 the emotions of others, trying to communicate and transmit those words that they know can help the other at that moment.

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

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

Assertiveness and empathy: ideal communication

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 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 certain way, we can consider that empathy would correspond to the most human and emotional assertiveness.

When both skills they unite and complement each other perfection in a person, one 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 helping others.

Characteristics of assertive and empathetic people

We can conclude, then, that empathic assertiveness is the ability that allows us to both 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 virtues and defects. 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 willing to understand.
4. They know how to correctly manage conflicts, providing the necessary means for their solution. For them, their purpose in a conflict is to reach an agreement and find the best way to resolve the situation.
5. They trust 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 to the other person and, a posteriori, they present 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 other’s shoes to understand them, but then 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 level 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 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, at PsychologyFor 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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