Empathy or Sympathy?
What Is the Difference between "Empathy" and "Sympathy"?
"Empathy" and "sympathy" are easy to confuse because they both relate to feeling sorry for another person. However, there is a difference.- Empathy. "Empathy" means the ability to understand and share the feelings of another (having shared the same, or a similar, experience). For example:
- You've lost your dog? I lost my dog too. I can empathize with you. ("To empathize" means to have empathy.)
- Sympathy. "Sympathy" means feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune. For example:
- You've lost your dog? I don't have a dog. I sympathize with you. ("To sympathize" means to have sympathy.)
More about "Empathy" and "Sympathy"
Writers often confuse "empathy" and "sympathy." These two words are similar in meaning, but they are not the same. If you use the wrong one, you will either change the meaning of your sentence or be spotted as someone who doesn't know the difference.Empathy
The noun "empathy" means the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. This ability usually derives from having shared the same, or a similar, experience. For example, you can have empathy for a poor person if you are, or were, poor.More examples:
- I have empathy for your problem. I've been there.
- Empathy is at the heart of the actor's art. (Actress Meryl Streep)
- The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy. (also Meryl Streep)
- Friendship is a living thing that lasts only as long as it is nourished with kindness, empathy, and understanding. (anon)
- I can empathize with you. I've been there.
- He will empathize with you. He managed the same department for ten years.
Sympathy
The noun "sympathy" means feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune. For example:- You have my utmost sympathy. You trained like a demon for that race.
- I would like to extend my sympathy to your son. I am sorry to hear of the death of his goldfish.
- The vicar will sympathize with you. She knows how hard you trained. (There is no suggestion the vicar has trained hard herself (that would be "empathize" not "sympathize"). As a result, the preposition "with" does not feel right with "to sympathize" because "sympathizing" usually means you haven't experienced the bad event yourself. "With" seems a better fit for "empathize." However, it is used with both verbs.)
- It's hard not to have sympathy with their claims.
- It's clear from her inaction that she sympathizes with their cause.
A Video Summary
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