The ability to understand the mental states—thoughts, feelings, intentions, and desires—of oneself and others, especially in relation to behavior; a form of imaginative mental activity that helps people make sense of actions, navigate social interactions, and regulate emotions.
Mentalizing is distinct from empathy because is the emotional experience of feeling what another person feels, while mentalizing is the cognitive process of thinking about the mental states and intentions that explain why a person feels that way.