How can you tell the difference between being empathic and sympathic?

Question

I'm not clear on that. I can see physically how a person is reacting but in the same token I seem to feel it without ever having been in that situation for example A show for example like... I don't know... Maury or Montell. I see an adult woman searching for her mother/father whatever the case and once they bring out the "surprise" guest - meaning their parent for a reunion or something similiar I want to cry happy tears and get all emotional. Almost like it's me meeting the person for the first time. It's not normal for me to react in that fashion to anything, but over the last few years its gotten stronger and stronger. I'd like to find out what's going on.... sometimes it drives me nuts. Anyone out there help on figuring out what it is or why it happens...... Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not that emotional over anything normally.

Answer 1

Sympathy is when you feel sorry for a person. You're supportive.
Empathy is when you can really understand a person. You feel sorry for them, but you can also see it through their eyes, in their shoes.
If you were abandoned by a parent when you were younger, your reaction is likely empathy. Although if you were not abandoned, your reaction is likely sympathy.
It is actually a little more complicated than that. You don't have to have experienced something to feel empathy. I've met with sexual abuse survivors and felt empathy, but I was never abused.

Answer 2

You really need to stop watching daytime TV and find an alternative news source. You tuning into mush.


The adj empathetic has 1 sense (no senses from tagged texts)

1. empathic, empathetic -- (showing empathy or ready comprehension of others' states; "a sensitive and empathetic school counselor")


The adj sympathetic has 6 senses (first 4 from tagged texts)

1. (13) sympathetic -- (of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system; "sympathetic neurons"; "sympathetic stimulation")
2. (8) sympathetic -- (expressing or feeling or resulting from sympathy or compassion or friendly fellow feelings; disposed toward; "sympathetic to the students' cause"; "a sympathetic observer"; "a sympathetic gesture")
3. (2) compatible, sympathetic -- (having similar disposition and tastes; "a compatible married couple"; "with their many similar tastes, he found her a most sympathetic companion")
4. (1) charitable, benevolent, kindly, sympathetic, good-hearted, openhearted, large-hearted -- (showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity; "was charitable in his opinions of others"; "kindly criticism"; "a kindly act"; "sympathetic words"; "a large-hearted mentor")
5. sympathetic, appealing, likeable, likable -- ((of characters in literature or drama) evoking empathic or sympathetic feelings; "the sympathetic characters in the play")
6. harmonic, sympathetic -- (relating to vibrations that occur as a result of vibrations in a nearby body; "sympathetic vibration")