Empathy is the ability to put oneself in another's place and experience
that person's emotions and feelings. Many researchers believe empathy is
one of the building blocks of all moral behavior, since by empathizing
with others, we are more likely to want to relieve their pain and
increase their happiness. The Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would
have them do unto you"), one of the guiding moral precepts of
civilization, is the active equivalent of empathy. A version of the
Golden Rule is found in most religious traditions.