In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: . Empathy is the act of understanding, imagining, and/or feeling what the speaker is feeling. Empathy is the feeling of "putting yourself in someone else's shoes." It's important in active listening because it helps you to name and identify the other person's feelings, which helps validate the other person and help them know you are listening to and understanding them. Empathy does not mean agreement. Empathy is more like an understanding. You don't necessarily have to agree with what the speaker is feeling, but you should be able to understand what it is they are feeling, and perhaps why they feel what they do. You can develop your empathy by imagining what the other person is feeling. How would you feel if you were that person? Reading works of literary fiction helps you increase your empathy skills. Working cooperatively with others, perhaps in a volunteer capacity, helps you better understand the people you are working with and/or serving. Make the effort to meet other people who are unlike you. By getting to know those who are different, you learn that we all share common ground, building emotional connectedness and understanding. When you are listening to another person, you may begin to feel or intuit the other person's emotions. You may be mirroring the person's emotions, or perhaps you are reacting to their emotions. Sensing what another person is feeling is known as affective empathy. For example, you may feel excited when you watch your sister share news of her job promotion, or you may begin to feel tense or anxious when your friend shares bad news with you. It is helpful for the listener to name what they are feeling to indicate empathy and understanding. For example, you could say, "Wow, just hearing you tell that story made me feel really tense. You must be under a lot of pressure at work right now." This will give you clues into the meaning, feeling and purpose behind what the speaker is saying, helping to generate empathy. Many researchers believe we convey more of our true thoughts and feelings through our body language and tone of voice than through the words we use. Here are some things you can look out for: Facial expressions. For example, are they genuinely smiling when they are conveying happy news? Tone of voice. Listen to the way their voice sounds when they speak. For example, "I'm thrilled for you," could be said in a way that sounds truly excited and happy for the other person, or it could be said sarcastically. Gestures. Gestures can convey many emotions. Think about clapping your hands or bouncing up and down when excited, or crossing your arms in front of your chest or putting your hands on your hips when angry. Body position. Watch how a person uses the placement of their body to convey feeling. For example, if someone moves closer to another person when talking to them, it likely conveys a closeness of relationship. Use your empathy to determine what kind of tone you should take with the speaker. By observing body language and listening carefully, you can decide if your conversation is more lighthearted or serious in nature. The other person may begin the conversation with "Can we talk about something?" or "I have something to tell you," which gives you a clue that the subject matter is probably serious. Observe body language. With a more serious conversation, you may possibly see fewer gestures, a more protective posture (like arms across the chest), or less eye contact. The speaker may be trying to "protect" their vulnerability. More serious conversations will also likely be in a lower, quieter tone of voice. Conversations that are less serious will likely be louder, with more hand gestures, smiling, and eye contact. It is important to listen without judgment when you are engaging in active listening. Use empathy to understand where the other person is coming from, and why they made the decisions that they did. Remain open-minded by giving them space to talk without your interjections. Listen with the goal of understanding. Fully focus on what the other person has to say, then think of a response during a pause in conversation. Don't jump to conclusions about the person. Avoid stereotypes. For example, an unemployed person receiving government food assistance may not be lazy. Save your opinions for after you hear their story. Unless the speaker specifically asks for advice, don't offer it to them. Focus on understanding where the other person is coming from instead. If the speaker asks you, "What do you think I should do?" you could say, "You know, I need to think about that. Can you tell me more about what happened? Maybe we could figure out some next steps together."
Summary: Develop empathy Pay attention to your own emotional reactions. Take note of the speaker's body language. Figure out the tone of the conversation. Be nonjudgmental. Avoid giving advice.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Dimple piercings are fairly risky since you are dealing with an area more prone to infection than most. If done right, though, dimple piercings can partially mimic the look of dimples. Keep the piercings if you want to permanently highlight the dimple area or take them out eventually so that the skin eventually heals, leaving behind a dimple-like indentation. Due to the risks involved with dimple piercing, some professionals do not offer them at all. Others may offer them but often refuse them to anyone under the age of 18, even if that individual has the permission of a legal guardian. Dimple piercings cut through muscle and usually cause some mild form of nerve damage. This nerve damage can help hold the dimples in place even after the piercing closes up, but it can also be risky and could do unforeseen harm. The professional piercer should clean the outside of your cheek and should also instruct you to clean the inside of your mouth before making the dimple piercings. The needle and jewelry should also be sterilized. The piercer will puncture both cheeks symmetrically, right at the spot where natural dimples would fall. Afterward, he or she will place a straight barbell or other piece of piercing jewelry into each hole to prevent it from closing immediately. Your dimple piercings will need to be cleaned multiple times a day with a saline solution to prevent infection from setting in. You can keep the dimple jewelry in permanently if desired, but you can usually take them out after three months have passed. If the piercing did the expected nerve damage, you should have an indentation in your cheek even after the skin heals over the original hole. If you want something that looks more natural and will last for the rest of your life, learn about a plastic surgery procedure that will create dimple-like marks in your cheeks. Cosmetic surgery can be costly and does come with its own set of risks, but this option will give you fake dimples that look more natural than many other methods can. A plastic surgeon will use local anesthesia for the procedure. He or she will make a small incision on the inside of the mouth and into the inner surface of the cheek. Using specialized tools, the surgeon will make an indentation in the cheek muscles and mucosal tissues. Afterward, the dimple divot will be held in place with internal stitches, and external stitches will be used to close the wound in the inner mouth. For larger dimples, a plastic surgeon may perform a punch tissue excision. During this procedure, a portion of the cheek muscle is completely removed, creating a deeper and more obvious indentation. In either case, the procedure will take an hour or less. You should expect some pain, swelling, and bruising immediately after the procedure. The area is also weak to infection afterward, so you will need to carefully and thoroughly follow any instructions provided by the surgeon concerning proper wound care and cleansing. For the first few weeks, your dimple-like indentations will be present at all times. Once your cheek muscles partially heal, though, you should only notice the marks when smiling.
Summary:
Get dimple piercings. Consider cosmetic surgery.