You can sympathize, and you can empathize, but you can never really understand how another person is experiencing their pain. You can be right next to someone and be a million miles away from them.
2006-12-21 08:53:50 · 10 answers · asked by Child 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep that he can't get out.
"A doctor passes by, and the guy shouts up, 'Hey, you! Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole, and moves on.
"Then a priest comes along, and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole. Can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole, and moves on.
"Then a friend walks by: 'Hey, Joe, it's me. Can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole.
Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before, and I know the way out.'"
2006-12-21 08:58:33 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
REB,
The only way you can experience a persons pain is if you have been there yourself see 2 Corinthians 1:1-5.
I make it a point never to give advice or counsel that I am not willing to go through myself.
Adversity has a way of "cutting one down to size", humbling a person making a person compassionate and this has been my life lesson for over 21 years and I am still learning.
God bless you.
2006-12-21 09:13:50 · answer #2 · answered by encourager4God 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can just hold a person close and let them know you care,
but to truly understand another person's pain would be to step inside their lives and be them. This is next to impossible. However, you can know a person very well, be a sibling, have a fifty year history of friendship, and that person will know you care because you have a history with them through their ups and downs. Your efforts will not go unnoticed. People do not expect you to fully understand their pain, they just want you to be there for them.
2006-12-21 09:01:30 · answer #3 · answered by Janell B 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That's a very good question. I deal with people in pain everyday that I work. Yes, I try very hard to understand. But do I know what they are feeling? Probably not, and with the pain they are having, I hope I never find out. :(
2006-12-21 10:05:09 · answer #4 · answered by Stormilutionist Chasealogist 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Padwinleaner and Liberianprinces, but some people can just picture themselves in anothers place and understand how a person feels.
2006-12-21 09:08:11 · answer #5 · answered by kathy y 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your are right!
How on earth can we possibly know what another is feeling? It is not like we can jump into another's body...Even if we have the same condition as another, all we can do is sympathize....
Have a great day!
2006-12-21 09:00:55 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course you cannot fully understand another's pain - however, when we experience similar situations, we can estimate by our own responses how the other must feel.
2006-12-21 08:55:58 · answer #7 · answered by padwinlearner 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the only way you can understand someones pain is if you have been there to.
2006-12-21 08:55:49 · answer #8 · answered by liberianprinces 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You can certainly try and have empathy, But I guess It would feel different for you to actually go through it.
2006-12-21 09:06:46 · answer #9 · answered by wizzygirl10 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't even understand my own pain.
2006-12-21 08:55:57 · answer #10 · answered by Phoenix, Wise Guru 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋