What is sympathy? Who needs sympathy? Why do you think...?

Question

the person or people need sympathy?

these questions are not as simple as they seem. any hardcore philosophers wanna have a go?

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life"

even jesus could not show his sympathy to just "anyone" so the issue of sympathy is clearly not that simple....

Answer 1

I like to underscore what sympathy is by contrasting it with empathy.

Empathy is knowing what someone else is feeling. The wording is important - it is knowledge and information. There is no implied course of action (though many people seem to think so).

Sympathy is not only knowing what someone else is feeling, it is SHARING that feeling. If you're happy and know someone else is sad, you are being empathic. If someone else's sadness MAKES you sad, then you are sympathizing. And again, there is no implied course of action.

Now, I know there will be people who say that empathizing and sympathizing causes mercy, compassion, generousity, and any number of other things. It is easy to see how this might be so. But MIGHT is not MUST! I have known empathizers and sympathizers who, instead of helping the suffering, simply avoid them. It would have been better if they had helped but been entirely insensitive to the emotions of others!

It is likewise hard to support the idea that sympathy is inherently good, because it arguably spreads pain and suffering around just as easily as it does joy and happiness. And how is increasing suffering a good thing?

Ultimately, since sympathy doesn't necessarily lead to any particular course of action, I have to say that NOBODY needs it. It might help with some tasks, but it is not necessary for them. I suspect that such a two-edged sword is probably best left sheathed.

Answer 2

It is the empathetic nurturing of one of your same specie. Or the understanding calming of another animal. Every living creature needs sympathy to feel loved if you don't feel loved you are going to be depressed and not flourish in your life and productivity; or -- you will become apathetic, unfeeling and methodical with no use for anyone or thing but yourself and keeping "your" personal life organized with no use for pragmatic persons who would try to elevate themselves and others to a higher spiritual level which can only increase love, joy and all the reasons we protect each other and concern ourselves with the conditions of the world.

Answer 3

Compassion and Sympathy are often confused. Compassion is the act of helping others to help themselves. Sympathy is the act of helping others who don't want to help themselves. Who simply want a handout. It is sometimes necessary to so this in order to find the ones who actually want to change their situation.

Answer 4

it's when you can realize another's feelings and feel sorry for something that happened to them. Everyone should give sympathy or society would be too hateful and crumble. where there's sympathy, I believe there is love

Answer 5

I feel sympathy is linked with compassion, do you have compassion for your fellow neighbor?