2007-09-25 19:57:38 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore
Sympathy is being sorry someone feels bad. Empathy is knowing exactly how they feel because you have experienced a similar situation.
2007-09-25 20:02:31 · answer #1 · answered by barbara 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sympathy is objective....I feel some sadness for your loss, for instance. Empathy is subjective...I feel excitement for your news! Empathy is where you get caught up in feeling something origniating from another. Sympathy is more distanced.
2007-09-26 03:03:35 · answer #2 · answered by kerriwyn13 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sympathy is feeling bad for someone else's misfortune. Empathy is when you actually feel what the other person is feeling.
2007-09-26 03:05:37 · answer #3 · answered by Oblivia 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sympathy is when you feel sorry for someone or their situation. Empathy is when you understand their situation.
2007-09-26 04:18:01 · answer #4 · answered by Beth H 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
These messages above me arent entirely accurate.
Sympathy is when u feel sorry for someone. Empathy is when u try to understand thei pain or try to feel their pain. No one on earth but god can feel exactly what your feeling even if they have gone through the same situation, but when u try to understand and try to feel their pain it is the first step of true empathy.
2007-09-28 18:36:42 · answer #5 · answered by virgin 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The previous answers provide some good definitions.
Its worth noting as well that you can empathize with positive emotions as well as negative ones. In other words empathy = "I know how you are feel." You can empathize with someone who is feeling disgruntled, over the moon with joy, or in deep sorrow.
2007-09-26 14:14:45 · answer #6 · answered by Thalia 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the friend uses sympathy, she might think, for example: He is remembering his father with pain. Poor Roger. If the friend decides to verbalize her thoughts, she might say to the grieving man words such as: "I feel your pain."
If the friend uses empathy, she might think, for example: He is remembering his father with pain and also the pleasure of his love for him. If the friend decides to verbalize her thoughts, she might say to the grieving man words such as: "I feel your pain and also your great love for your father.
This sharing of the painful feelings of another person is characteristic of both sympathy and empathy. However, the person using sympathy would pay more attention to the pain than to the love for the father whereas the person using empathy would pay equal attention to the pain and love.
If the friend added "I'm sorry for your loss," this statement would also be characteristic of sympathy, but not of empathy. The person using empathy would share the grieving man's emotional pain, but not necessarily feel sorry for or pity him. Of course, one can use both sympathy and empathy, for example: "I feel your pain and also your great love for your father. I'm sorry for your loss."
Love & Blessings
Milly
2007-09-26 10:26:01 · answer #7 · answered by milly_1963 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sympathy can be felt for someone by another.
Empathy is felt if you have been in the same situation.
2007-09-26 03:11:57 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
sympathy is like..i feel sorry for you. empathy is ..i feel your pain.
2007-09-26 03:32:11 · answer #9 · answered by darkling 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋