Final answer:
A person with a strong sense of empathy would likely try to imagine how others feel before acting, embodying cognitive empathy. Compassion and empathy are virtues that facilitate understanding, benevolence, and ethical behavior, essential for effective listening and social interaction.
Step-by-step explanation:
Empathy, which is the capacity to understand another person's perspective and to feel what they feel, is a crucial component of social interaction and ethical behavior. A person with a strong sense of empathy would most likely exhibit the characteristic of trying to imagine how others might feel before acting. This aspect of empathy is also known as cognitive empathy or theory-of-mind, which increases during adolescence and supports social problem solving and conflict avoidance. It requires seeing the world through others' eyes and feeling concern for their well-being without immediate self-interest.
Compassion and empathy are considered virtues in many moral theories, suggesting that through these traits, people can engage in benevolent actions, which are fundamental to ethics and societal well-being. Furthermore, being a good listener is also intertwined with empathy, as it involves understanding and emotionally engaging with the speaker without judgment or interruption.