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Daddyjohn Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

Empathize vs Sympathize

What's the difference in usage between Empathize and Sympathize? Thank you very much
  

Top answer

" Sympathy, on the other hand, is an intellectual grasp of another person's situation. " "I wish to express my sympathy" means "I wish to offer my condolences" for some sad misfortune. You might go on to express that you feel their loss too, which in my opinion would really be empathy.

— Avangi

  • " Sympathy, on the other hand, is an intellectual grasp of another person's situation.
  • " "I wish to express my sympathy" means "I wish to offer my condolences" for some sad misfortune.
  • You might go on to express that you feel their loss too, which in my opinion would really be empathy.
  • But in the pure sense, sympathy and empathy can describe your understanding of, or grasp of, or reaction to someone else's great joy, as well as great sorrow, or even intellectual position on some issue.
  • To sympathize with someone's views is to understand or appreciate them, while to empathize would be to agree with them.
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11 Answers
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Hi DJ,

Without looking it up, I've always thought that "empathy" is what you feel in your gut when you grasp someone's situation, like Bill Clinton's corny (possibly insincere) line, "I feel your pain."

Sympathy, on the other hand, is an intellectual grasp of another person's situation.

Nonetheless, we wouldn't send someone an "empathy card." "I wish to express my symp
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Thank you very much.
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DJ, have a look on Wikipedia; it does a much better job than a dictionary in examining these emotional terms.
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I actually think it's the opposite or at least that's what I was taught.
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empathy is being able to relate to that person/thing/situation because YOU yourself have also experienced 'it' or something very similar -- having been in those shoes.

sympathy is having compassion for that person/thing/situation even though you may have not ACTUALLY experienced it -- youre able to 'relate' to it -- put yourself in those shoes.
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Your definition is what I was taught and have used all my life. I'm a transcriptionist and that's always the way I have used the two words.

Empathy = experienced it.

Sympathy = seen it.
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I would say it's the difference between undertanding one's pain and feeling one's pain.

If a person just lost a loved one and you start crying for their loss, you are exhibiting sympathy.

If a person just lost a loved one and you understand their loss enough to console them inn their grief, then you are exhibiting empathy.

They say misery loves company and to sympathize
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AnonymousIf a person just lost a loved one and you start crying for their loss, you are exhibiting sympathy.

If a person just lost a loved one and you understand their loss enough to console them inn their grief, then you are exhibiting empathy.

They say misery loves company and to sympathize would be to give company

But empathy keeps you emotio
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CalifJim My psychology teacher illustrated the two terms in the exact opposite way.
Me too. But I've long since given up trying to use either term - except to say that if you're looking for sympathy, you can find it in the dictionary between sh** and syphilis.
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