2007-03-09 08:07:04 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
empathy: A very close understanding between persons:
empathy is the ability to not only know or detect what others are feeling , but to also experience it yourself
More than feeling compassion or sympathy “for” another person, empathy puts you in their shoes to feel “with” them or “as one” with them.
Sympathetic: sharing the feelings of others (especially feelings of sorrow or anguish. an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion
Empathy and sympathy are very close and are sometimes used as synonyms. The easiest way to separate them is to remember that empathy is about feelings while sympathy is about actions. Thus you may empathize ( feel ) with another person and then act (do for) on this by telling them how sorry or happy you feel for them.
Empathetic people are often very sympathetic - they can hardly stop themselves as they really do feel for the other person.
A person who is sympathetic but not empathetic may appear a little shallow, as they are less likely to show an emotional connection. 'Terribly sorry and all that, old chap' they might say, in a friendly but relatively cold voice.
Empathy vs Sympathy
Empathy- intellectual & emotional awareness and understanding of another person’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior even that are distressing
emphasizes understanding
Sympathy- sharing another’s feelings especially in sorrow or trouble through imaginative identification with the other’s situation
emphasizes sharing of another persons feelings and experiences
2007-03-09 08:53:00 · answer #1 · answered by calliew01 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
empathy is to "understand" by whatever means available another persons feelings or situation -- thus to understand their experience
sympathy is "to feel or experience" the same feelings or situation as another person -- thus to share their experience
the first is via the intellect and the latter is via common experience
2007-03-09 16:23:28 · answer #2 · answered by Zee 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
sympathy- not having been through the experience, but imagining how they feel
empathy- have been through the experience and know how it feels.
2007-03-09 16:11:20 · answer #3 · answered by Jennifer 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
sympathy is feeling sorry for someone
empathy is understanding how someone feels
2007-03-09 16:14:57 · answer #4 · answered by RcknRllr 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
sympathy, simply is having pity for somebody, other than yourself.....while empathy is having pity for oneself
2007-03-09 16:30:32 · answer #5 · answered by Hienekens J 1 · 0⤊ 4⤋