Being able to understand other people’s emotions isn’t easy for everyone.

In a world where so many of us are caught up in our own day-to-day lives and the things that go on around us, acknowledging the feelings of others and being in tune with our emotional intelligence can fluctuate – but there is a way to identify the different ways we empathise to better connect with and understand the people around us and develop our own emotional intelligence.

Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, defines empathy as the ability to understand others’ emotions while noting that it comes in “sensing others’ feelings and perspectives and taking an active interest in their concerns” – but empathy doesn’t necessarily walk in a straight line.

After all, there are different types that serve different purposes. One person addressing this is a career coach and entrepreneur Shade Zahrai.

Friendship psychology: there are 3 different types of empathy – here’s how to identify them