Empathy vs. Sympathy

synonyms

This time, we're going to learn about the slight differences between 'empathy' and 'sympathy'. Are you a sympathetic person when it comes to treating others?

What Is Their Main Difference?

Both of them refer to understanding someone's feelings. However, 'empathy' is when we are able to put ourselves in someone else's shoes and truly grasp how they are feeling. 'Sympathy', on the other hand, is when someone feels sad or sorry for another thing/person.

Differences

As stated above, 'sympathy' is when someone is experiencing something difficult and we feel sorry for them. We try to share our condolences with someone. Look at the following examples:

I feel sorry for your loss.

This is sympathy when someone has lost someone close to them.

We share our sympathies with all those who have lost someone dear to them in the war.

Similarities

'Empathy', contrariwise, is when someone puts himself/herself in another person's shoes and genuinely understands how that person is feeling. In other words, they can somehow understand what someone has been through. Check out the following examples:

I would definitely feel devastated if this happened to me.

This is a form of empathizing with someone.

Words are not enough to show how much I understand you.

Are They Interchangeable?

Although they are both related to feelings and emotional understanding, they cannot be used interchangeably. 'Empathy' is much stronger than 'sympathy'. Compare:

✓ The mayor delivered a speech regarding his sympathies with all the pain-stricken people.

X The mayor delivered a speech regarding his empathies with all the pain-stricken people.

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