How does empathy improve the communication process?

A) Empathy helps the speaker focus on what the listener would like to hear.
B) Empathy helps the listener focus on the speaker's actual words.
C) Empathy helps the listener get rid of preconceived notions of what the speaker is trying to say.
D) Empathy helps the speaker get rid of preconceived notions of what the listener is trying to hear.

Answer: C
Explanation: Empathy puts the listener in the speaker's "shoes," allowing the listener to hear the speaker's words from the speaker's own perspective. This ability to experience the speaker's point of view helps the listener to judge the speaker's words on their own merit and to avoid jumping to conclusions or relying on preconceived ideas of what the speaker is likely to say.