do you believe that you can only truely understand how someone feels if you have shared a similar experience?

Answer 1

the person who defined empathy is incorrect. we actually use empathy to identify with people who have had different experiences than ourselves. you can try and place yourself in their shoes and "empathize" with them.

existentialists theorize that if you can place yourself in a similar situation, or perhaps a worse situationthan theirs you can understand the feeling on a deep level.

personally, i think you can only "truly" understand someone if you have experienced the same situation, but that does not discount the power of empathy, and the ability of someone to help another with it.

Answer 2

Some people are better at empathizing than others. It helps to have experienced some pain to truly understand the depth of their emotion, but not necessary for some.

Answer 3

yes, if you had a friend whos mother just passed away how can you tell that friend you know how they feel if your own mother is still healthy and alive at home?

think about it...... although we do not know what that person is going through we still try to understand the pain of that person. never tell a person you know what they are going through when it has never happened to you.

Answer 4

yes, to a point. yet not all will respond to a similar situation in the same way...depends on someones psyche

Answer 5

yes, because you have gone throught the similar experience, you understand fully how the other person feels...

Answer 6

i believe that if someone has not been in my shoes or if i have not been in theirs then i/they wont completely understand

Answer 7

YEAH IT IS CALLED EMPATHY.