Sympathy VS empathy

Question

What is the difference between sympathy and empathy?

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Sympathy is knowing how the other person feels. Empathy is feeling the same way s/he does.

AH020387 · Answer

Thanks

Sam1947 · Answer

I'd take a slightly different slant on that.

Sympathy is recognizing the emotions the other person feels and caring about how a situation is impacting them although not really understanding them from a personal point of view.

Empathy is being able to put oneself in another's place.

For example, one might have sympathy for the mother of a mass murderer as she watches her son sentenced to death for his crimes, but have no ability to understand exactly where she is coming from, because it seems impossible to put oneself in her shoes.

If one has empathy for that same mother, it may be because one is able to put oneself in her shoes because one has had some life experience (maybe a teenage son who was arrested for drunk driving, something one never thought would happen) that leads them to be able to generalize to the mother's situation, even though it is outside one's personal experience.

It's the difference between saying, "I feel so sorry for her, but I can't even imagine what she is going through," and, "I can really feel where she's coming from."

It's a subtle but powerful difference.

Sympathy VS empathy

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