You’ve probably heard the word empathy if you’ve ever studied psychology or human behavior, or if you’re interested in personality types. Empathy is defined as the ability to comprehend and relate to the feelings of others. Empathy differs from sympathy in that it involves your own feelings. Sympathy is merely understanding others’ emotions. When you have empathy for another person, you are able to relate to them in a specific way and understand where their emotions are coming from by putting yourself in their shoes. Most people, especially those they care about and relate to, have the ability to be empathic (or demonstrate empathy) to others. While you may be familiar with the term empathy, you may not be familiar with the term empath. An empath is someone who has a lot of empathy for other people, to the point where they can take on other people’s feelings and feel them as if they were experiencing them themselves. Empaths are extremely sensitive to and aware of other people’s feelings, and they have a hard time shielding themselves from absorbing the emotions of those around them. It’s critical to comprehend empathic characteristics, especially if you’re in a relationship with one, so you can better support your spouse.

Here are some warning indicators that you might be dating an empath:

They take on the emotion of others

Someone who is so empathic that they take on the feelings of others is what an empath is known for. Empaths are so tuned in to other people’s emotions and so capable of understanding other people’s perspectives that they may experience their feelings as if they were their own. Because empaths are so tuned in to what the other person is feeling, when a friend or loved one is unhappy or depressed, an empath may mirror those emotions and experience them as well. This can be extremely affirming for the person experiencing the feeling, but it can be exhausting for the empath, especially if they are mirroring difficult emotions.

Tend to avoid large gatherings

Empaths are easily overwhelmed by huge crowds because they absorb the emotions of others around them. Empaths are extremely sensitive to both positive and negative emotions in others, and this sensitivity can be heightened in crowded environments. This can cause empaths to avoid large gatherings entirely in order to save themselves the emotional energy that such gatherings can demand.

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Tend to be introverted

Though being an empath has nothing to do with whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, empaths are frequently introverted and require alone time to recharge. People sometimes find this surprising because empaths have a strong ability to connect with others. However, this connection can take an emotional toll on empaths, and they may require some alone time to recover and re-energize following social encounters. Remember that being introverted does not imply that you are antisocial; it simply means that you recharge your batteries best when you are alone, whereas extroverts receive their energy from social circumstances.

Love nature

Empaths frequently find nature to be incredibly soothing because it allows them to get away from the vast social areas that they often find overwhelming. While many people seek solitude and calm in nature, empaths are particularly drawn to spending time alone in nature. If your partner goes for long walks in the woods to help them recover from a difficult social event, or if they enjoy relaxing in the garden, it’s possible that they’re an empath.