empathy vs sympathy essay

The Difference Between Empathy And Sympathy

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

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Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Sympathy and empathy are two closely related but distinct emotions. Sympathy involves feeling sorry or pity for someone, whereas empathy involves understanding and sharing someone’s feelings. Sympathy is more of an external expression of emotion, while empathy is an internal emotional response.

Simply put, sympathy is feeling for someone, while empathy is feeling with someone. Understanding the difference between these two emotions can help us communicate and connect with others on a deeper level.

Definitions

The words sympathy, empathy, and compassion are closely related terms that are often used interchangeably.

However, they are different. The definitions of these terms often demonstrate different aspects of intersubjective experience.

• Sympathy is an emotion experienced in reaction to something that happens to others. When someone understands what another person is going through and feels sorrow or pity toward them, this is sympathy. 
• Empathy is the ability to intimately feel and see another’s suffering, not just through understanding what they are going through but by being able to put themselves in another’s shoes. When expressing empathy, a person may use their personal experience to relate to another’s suffering. 
• Compassion means ‘to suffer together,’ which is an expression of caring and warmth. Someone who expresses compassion recognizes the pain in another person and is motivated to help them. 

What’s the difference between Empathy and Sympathy?

While sympathy and empathy are often used interchangeably, there are crucial differences that lead to different outcomes. 

Emotion is the main difference

While sympathy means that someone understands someone else’s suffering, it is more cognitive and keeps a certain distance between the sufferer and the listener.

Being able to emphasize means being able to experience another’s feelings. It requires an emotional component of really feeling what the other person is feeling. 

Difference in levels of understanding

Another difference between empathy and sympathy lies in the desire to understand the experience of a person who is suffering, not necessarily in the drive to stop their suffering.

Empathy is the ability to understand the emotions of another person. In contrast, sympathy is often utilized when a person does not necessarily relate to or fully understand the circumstances that someone is suffering. 

Sympathy does not translate as understanding since the listener may shift focus away from the person in distress to focus on themselves instead. 

The relationship matters

With empathy and sympathy, there is often a difference in the relationship between the listener and the sufferer. 

In certain settings, such as when a co-worker or boss is suffering from loss, sympathy may be more appropriate to maintain particular social dynamics when there is not an intimate connection. 

However, if a lifelong friend experiences a loss, sending a card or flowers may be inadequate. Empathy is usually expected more when the relationship between the sufferer and listener is close and strong. 

Sympathy drives disconnection

Empathy is thought to drive connection, while sympathy is thought to drive disconnection, according to social psychologist Brené Brown.

Thus, while empathy brings people together and builds on strong connections, sympathy can create a divide between people. 

Sympathetic statements such as ‘I’m sorry you feel like that’ or ‘It could have been worse’ can come across as patronizing.

Likewise, statements such as ‘I feel bad for you’ can come across as pitying, which can make the sufferer feel unsupported. 

How do sympathy and empathy relate to compassion?

It is thought that empathy and sympathy can be sensations and open expressions of compassion.

This is based on the condition that empathy and sympathy come from a place of sincerity. 

Compassion and empathy are fueled by an understanding of another human’s emotions. They both come with a desire and ability to connect to someone else and experience their pain.

Compassion, which arises from sincere empathy, can come from sharing similar experiences of suffering with another person.

Equally, compassion, which arises from sympathy, can be just as useful. For instance, someone may research and thus be knowledgeable on the types of abuse people can suffer.

They can then use this to increase their sympathy for people who have been abused , regardless of whether they have ever experienced abuse themselves.

Compassion often goes a step further as someone recognizes the pain in another and is motivated to help them, even if they cannot relate to the pain on a personal level.

To be able to extend emotions beyond an individual’s own personal experience is useful since this compassion allows humans to be motivated to reduce the pain that they have not personally experienced. 

Actively promoting compassion can allow a listener in one situation to be a force for change in many others. Compassionate people can be socially impactful and ignite activism in the service of a cause that one cares about.

Types of Empathy

There are thought to be three parts to empathy that should be increased to become a better empathetic listener. These are: cognitive empathy, emotive empathy, and empathic action. 

Cognitive empathy

This is the thinking part of empathy and a good starting point for becoming a better empathetic listener. This is where one can imagine themselves in the distressing situation of another and think about what that would feel like.

However, if this part is used without the following two parts of empathy, this may only become sympathy.

Emotive empathy

This is the feeling part of empathy. With emotive empathy, an individual stands alongside the person who is suffering and feels distressed with them. This is not feeling from a place outside or apart from the person, but together with them.

Empathic action

This is often the part that is difficult for many to cultivate. Empathic action often means sitting in silence and not doing anything. Many people may default to offering someone advice, solutions, or a diversion to ease their suffering; however, empathy is the opposite.

Acting on empathy by offering an empathic presence to someone is one of the most powerful actions there is. 

How to increase empathy to be an empathetic listener

Below are some other tips for cultivating empathy:

Actively listen

When someone actively listens , they are not just listening to the words that are being said.

They are paying close attention to what the other person is saying, getting a sense of the feelings that the speaker is expressing, and looking out for non-verbal cues. 

Listen patiently instead of focusing on what the response should be. When the person is finished speaking, take a moment to process the information before responding. 

Understand what the other person needs

Resist the urge to leap to conclusions about what someone needs when they tell you what they are going through. 

Use listening skills to figure out what they need, but if this is unclear, it is better to ask the other person what they need rather than provide the wrong kind of support. 

Repeating back to someone what was heard is a good way to find out what someone needs.

For instance, saying, ‘What I am hearing is that you don’t feel valued when X happens, is that right?’ can get to the point of what the other person needs. 

Prioritize emotional intelligence 

Those who have high emotional intelligence tend to be more self-aware, are better able to manage themselves, are aware of social cues, and are more capable of managing relationships.

Practicing ways of being more emotionally intelligent can therefore go hand-in-hand with being an empathic listener. 

What not to do

• Avoid asking direct questions, arguing with what is being said, and disputing facts. This can only drive a barrier between the listener and the sufferer. Instead, fully concentrate on what is being said and how the speaker feels
• Do not give your own judgments and opinions unless the speaker has asked for them. Let go of these and focus on the other person’s perspective. The listener does not need to agree with everything the other person says. Rather, it is about letting the speaker know that they are cared for and that they matter.
• Do not be afraid of silence in the conversation. Sometimes all someone needs is to feel heard and to know that the other person is there to listen. The speaker may be considering what to say next or may need a few silent moments to process their emotions. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is stronger: sympathy or empathy.

Sympathy is essentially telling someone, ‘I know how you feel,’ whereas empathy is saying, ‘I feel how you feel.’

Empathy is deeper and more intense than sympathy. It is about acknowledging a person’s feelings and genuinely imaging and trying to feel what it’s like to be in their situation. 

Can you be empathetic without being sympathetic?

Empathy is the ability to feel someone else’s emotions, whereas sympathy means feeling and/or showing a reaction such as sorrow or pity. 

In the same way that sympathy can occur without empathy, it is possible to understand another person’s emotions without being sympathetic. For example, someone who is a narcissist may be able to perceive what others are feeling but lack the sympathy to care about another person. 

Is empathy the same as altruism?

These two terms are related emotions; therefore, many tend to consider them as the same thing. However, someone who is altruistic can practice selfless concern for others’ welfare.

It is the charitable emotion to help others without expecting anything in return. Empathy, on the other hand, is the ability to understand another’s emotions and to share their feelings. 

Empathy and altruism are related since both trigger acts of generosity in someone towards another. Empathy can also be the reason why someone is altruistic. 

What is a dark empath?

Not all empaths have good intentions. Someone who is a dark empath is highly attuned to others’ emotions, but they use their empathic abilities as a weapon.

A dark empath knows how to connect with another person but can use their knowledge to manipulate or take advantage of another person. 

A dark empath can give a false sense of trust to others when first getting to know them since they can portray their empathy in a positive light. This can lead to others thinking highly of them since they clearly show displays of empathy.

This makes it more dangerous later down the line when the dark empath uses their empathy to manipulate others for personal gain, but it may not be recognized until others get hurt.  

Can you have compassion without empathy? 

Compassion is not the same as empathy, although the concepts are related. Empathy refers more generally to the ability to take the perspective of and feel the emotions of another person, whereas compassion is when those feelings and thoughts include the desire to help.

It is possible to display kindness and compassion for practical reasons without any real empathy for others’ suffering. Someone may have the desire to help people in need without attaching deeper emotions and understanding of the suffering they are going through. 

What is more important: empathy or compassion? 

Empathy and compassion are needed in everyday life, especially when interacting with others. Without them, it can be difficult to maintain healthy relationships.

Empathy and compassion can help people to exhibit kind and loving behavior toward people they care about, which helps reinforce relationships.  

As previously mentioned, dark empaths and narcissists can use empathy to manipulate others. A time when empathy may be dangerous on its own is when it comes to leadership .

In times of crisis, having a leader who is only empathetic may understand others’ suffering, but this does not mean they will do anything about it. Being a compassionate leader, on the other hand, can cultivate positive change and unify people. 

References 

Breyer, T. (2020). Empathy, sympathy and compassion. In  The Routledge handbook of phenomenology of emotion  (pp. 429-440). Routledge.

Brown, B., Davis, K., Stephenson, A., & Francis-Sears, A. (2013). Brené Brown on empathy.

Heym, N., Kibowski, F., Bloxsom, C. A., Blanchard, A., Harper, A., Wallace, L., Firth, J. & Sumich, A. (2021). The Dark Empath: Characterising dark traits in the presence of empathy.  Personality and individual differences ,  169 , 110172.

Jeffrey, D. (2016). Empathy, sympathy and compassion in healthcare: Is there a problem? Is there a difference? Does it matter?.  Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine ,  109 (12), 446-452.

Salem, R. (2003). Empathic listening.  Beyond intractability . 

Further information

An animated video that discusses the differences between sympathy and empathy, narrated by Dr Brené Brown

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• Empathy vs. Sympathy | Definition & Examples

Empathy vs. Sympathy | Definition & Examples

Published on July 25, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on June 1, 2023.

Empathy and sympathy are related words that differ in meaning. Though they’re often used interchangeably, they differ in the kind of emotional involvement they describe.

• Empathy is a noun describing the ability to relate to another person’s feelings by imagining yourself in their situation.
• Sympathy is a noun describing compassion for another person who is facing difficult circumstances or negative feelings. It suggests that you feel pity for someone but don’t necessarily fully understand their feelings.

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Table of contents

The meaning of empathy, sympathy to mean compassion, sympathy to mean unity, sympathy to mean loyalty, my (deepest) sympathies, worksheet: sympathy vs. empathy, other interesting language articles.

Empathy refers to the ability to imaginatively experience another person’s emotions or thoughts. The emphasis is on relating to another person’s feelings, whether intellectually or by connecting them to your own experiences: putting yourself in their shoes.

The verb form of empathy is empathize , meaning “to experience empathy for someone or something.” It’s commonly followed by the preposition “with.” The adjectival form of empathy is empathetic (or sometimes empathic ).

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Sympathy is typically used to describe compassion or pity for another person’s negative feelings or circumstances. It suggests that you feel bad for them, but not necessarily that you fully understand their feelings (though it doesn’t exclude this possibility).

The verb form of sympathy is sympathize , meaning “to experience sympathy for someone or something.” It’s commonly followed by the word “with.” The adjectival form of sympathy is sympathetic .

Sympathy can also be used to describe something as working in harmony or in unity with other components. It’s preceded by the word “in.” Sometimes an adjective is added between the words for emphasis.

Sympathy can also be used to describe a state of loyalty or a tendency to support a certain idea or group. In this context, it’s written in the plural form.

My sympathies is an expression commonly used to offer condolences to someone experiencing loss or grief. My deepest sympathies is a common variation of the expression. Either expression can be used on its own or as part of a sentence.

Do you want to test your knowledge of the difference between “empathy” and “sympathy”? Use the practice worksheet below! Fill in a form of “empathy” or “sympathy” in each of the sentences.

• Practice questions
• Answers and explanations
• Sandra’s parents are also divorced, so she feels a lot of _______ for Dajana.
• Tyra has a lot of _______ for people struggling with poverty. She donates a third of her income to charity.
• To _______ with someone is to imaginatively experience their feelings.
• The townspeople worked in _______ with each other to extinguish the fire.
• I have neither Republican nor Democratic _______.
• I expressed my deepest _______ to the widow.
• Here, “empathy” is the more appropriate option, showing that Sandra can understand Amy’s feelings because of a similar experience in her own life.
• Here, “sympathy” makes the most sense. Tyra feels compassion for the people she’s trying to help, but there’s no suggestion that she knows what it feels like to be in their situation.
• The present verb form of “empathy” is “empathize.”
• Here, “in sympathy” is used to mean “in harmony” or “in unity.”
• Here, “sympathies” is used to mean “loyalties” or “allegiances.”
• “My sympathies” and “my deepest sympathies” are common expressions used to offer condolences to someone experiencing loss.

If you want to know more about commonly confused words , definitions , and differences between US and UK spellings , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

Confused words

• Affect vs effect
• Further vs farther
• Loose vs lose
• Whose vs who’s

Definitions

• Bear with me
• Presumptuous

US vs. UK spellings

• Burned or burnt
• Canceled or cancelled
• Dreamt or dreamed
• Gray or grey
• Theater vs theatre

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Sympathy vs. Empathy: What's the Difference?

Sympathy is understanding someone's emotions and empathy is feeling them.

Dr. Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and a professor at Yeshiva University’s clinical psychology doctoral program.

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Sympathy vs. Empathy

Which is better—empathy or sympathy.

• Are Compassion and Empathy the Same Thing?

How to Be More Sympathetic and Empathetic

We often come across the words empathy and sympathy when talking about how we feel. However, sympathy involves understanding someone’s emotions from our perspective and empathy involves feeling their emotions from their perspective.

Although both words are used in situations that involve emotions, they cannot be used interchangeably as they have different meanings.

This article explores the traits, differences, examples and common questions about sympathy and empathy.

The main difference between sympathy and empathy is how we express and experience our emotions toward someone’s situation. 

According to the American Psychology Association Dictionary of Psychology, the definitions of sympathy and empathy are as follows:

• Sympathy : “feelings of concern or compassion resulting from an awareness of the suffering or sorrow of another.”
• Empathy : “understanding a person from his or her frame of reference rather than one’s own, or vicariously experiencing that person’s feelings, perceptions, and thoughts."

How to Remember the Difference

An easy way to remember what sympathy refers to is to think of the greeting card section at a store. You feel bad for someone who is going through a hard time and you express your condolences with a sympathy card.

In other words, you aren’t putting yourself in their position and imagining yourself struggling with their situation. Therefore, it is possible to have sympathy but not empathy.

Surface vs. Deep Level Understanding 

When we sympathize with someone’s unfortunate situation, we feel bad for them. We have thoughts and feelings about what they are going through but we don’t have a deep understanding of how they are feeling.

Empathizing with someone’s circumstances means we are taking the time, effort, and mental space to fully appreciate and understand how they feel. 

Understanding From Our vs. Their Perspective

Sympathy means hearing someone’s bad news, sharing our feelings about it, and saying sorry.

When we practice empathy, we dive into the depth of their emotions and envision ourselves in their situation. It’s not about how we feel about their experience but rather we are putting ourselves in their shoes, pretending to go through what they’re going through and feeling their feelings.

For instance, if your friend tells you that their dog recently passed away, you sympathize by saying “I’m sorry for your loss.” 

But if you were to empathize, you would imagine yourself losing a beloved pet and feeling the grief and loss that come with that experience.

Fun Fact: Where Did These Words Originate?

The words sympathy and empathy share the same suffix, “-pathy” which originates from the Greek word “pathos.” Pathos refers to “emotions, feelings, or passion."

Judgement vs. Non-Judgement

Sympathy involves a superficial understanding of someone’s situation; therefore, it is easy to pass judgment. Empathy allows a person to explore another person’s thoughts and feelings which helps them remove judgment.

For instance, if your sibling mentions they are getting a divorce, you sympathize by saying, “That’s terrible. It’s going to be hard on my nephew. He’s going grow up in a broken home.”

An empathetic response would be, “Let me know if you want to talk about it. I’ll be here for you through it all.”

Unsolicited Advice vs. Active Listening

Sympathizing does not involve feeling someone’s emotions; therefore, when we hear about their problem, we immediately feel the urge to fix it because we pity them. We suppress our own emotions. We don’t know exactly what they are going through and it’s easier to focus on the solution rather than validate their experiences.

When we empathize with a close one, we connect deeply to their experience. We ask questions to understand, practice active listening, read their facial expressions and body language and behave sensitively to their needs.

Neither is better; it depends on the context and knowing when to use empathy or sympathy. Both empathy and sympathy are needed for emotional and mental well-being. 

When to Show Empathy

Empathy is essential for building deep and meaningful relationships with others. If you are unable to understand another person’s perspective, it can be challenging to effectively communicate and problem-solve together. 

For instance, if you and your partner are fighting, it can be difficult to resolve the conflict if you are unable to empathize with their point of view. Instead of working as a team toward a solution, you focus on trying to convince the other that you are right which creates a bigger divide in the relationship.

Empathy Fatigue

However, empathy fatigue can occur if you are overly concerned and constantly feel the feelings of others. Your energy becomes depleted and you may feel numb, burnt out, powerless, and less compassionate. You are at an increased risk of empathic distress.

When to Show Sympathy

In the age of mobile phones and social media, we are bombarded with distressing news at our fingertips; it’s easy to become overwhelmed by what’s happening in the world.

Sympathy allows us to learn and stay informed about global issues without being emotionally consumed.

Sympathy has been shown to be associated with moral and prosocial behaviors such as cooperation, sharing, low discrimination, supporting, helping, and protecting others.

Are Compassion and Empathy the Same Thing? 

Compassion and empathy is also terms that are often used interchangeably. Both involve having an understanding of someone’s emotions, connecting deeply, listening without judgment, being patient, and showing respect; however, there is a subtle difference between them. 

Compassion Involves Taking Action

Unlike empathy which is merely about feeling the emotions of others, compassion creates a desire to help others and involves taking action. You want to help relieve their pain and suffering because you truly empathize with their situation.

For instance, your friend is going through cancer treatment. You have compassion by helping them run errands, driving them to their appointments, and being mindful and sensitive about their needs.

Sympathy and empathy are important for relationship-building and mental wellness. Here are some tips to practice these skills to help you be more sympathetic and empathetic:

• Learn how to read non-verbal cues
• Instead of jumping to giving unsolicited advice, put yourself in their situation and try to imagine what they need
• Practice active listening , ask questions, and work on understanding how another person feels
• Self-reflect on how your conditions shaped your beliefs, values, judgments, and perspectives
• Emotionally validate someone’s concerns
• Learn about your own emotions and how to identify them

Therefore, there is a clear difference between sympathy and empathy. While neither is better, it’s important to know when to use each of these emotional tools depending on the situation. 

If you are having a difficult time managing your emotions and connecting with others, therapy can help you work through your emotions, build stronger relationships, improve communication skills, and increase emotional awareness.

APA Dictionary of Psychology. Sympathy .

APA Dictionary of Psychology. Empathy .

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. What’s the difference between “sympathy” and “empathy”?

Chikovani G, Babuadze L, Iashvili N, Gvalia T, Surguladze S. Empathy costs: Negative emotional bias in high empathisers. Psychiatry Research. 2015;229(1–2):340–346.

Yang H, Yang S. Sympathy fuels creativity: The beneficial effects of sympathy on originality. Thinking Skills and Creativity. 2016;21:132–143.

By Katharine Chan, MSc, BSc, PMP Katharine is the author of three books (How To Deal With Asian Parents, A Brutally Honest Dating Guide and A Straight Up Guide to a Happy and Healthy Marriage) and the creator of 60 Feelings To Feel: A Journal To Identify Your Emotions. She has over 15 years of experience working in British Columbia's healthcare system.

Empathy vs. Sympathy: What’s the Difference?

Home » Empathy vs. Sympathy: What’s the Difference?

Writers oftentimes confuse the two words empathy and sympathy. They are usually used in similar contexts, a death in the family, a job loss, a robbery, etc., but they aren’t the same and have different meanings. So in order to keep our writing precise, we should be careful not to mix either of them up.

Today I want to illustrate the differences between empathy vs. sympathy, showcase their uses in a sentence, and give you some tips to keep track of them. After reading this post, you shouldn’t have any more trouble with these two words.

When to Use Empathy

• I have empathy for those families who lost their house in the storm. A tornado once destroyed my house.
• Having been late to work many times himself, the boss had empathy on the employee who was late.

Empathy is putting yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand that person’s situation. In the example above, the boss, having been late to work himself, had empathy for and understood why the employee was late for work.

Empathy is the newer of the two words, with its first use recorded in 1895. Sympathy, on the other hand, has a first recorded use in the late 1500s.

When to Use Sympathy

• I offered my sympathy to the grieving mother.
• Their sympathy for the victims led them to donate.

So you can clearly see the difference between the two words. Sympathy is a compassion and sorrow one feels for another, but empathy is more focused around personally identifying with or projecting oneself into another’s situation.

You may feel bad for the person who was just laid off from their job, but if you have never been laid off yourself, you cannot have empathy for him or her. You can feel sorry, have compassion, and give them sympathy, but you can’t have empathy for their situation.

Empathize vs. Sympathize

This same thought process underlines the two verb forms of empathy and sympathy, empathize and sympathize. Empathize denotes a stronger, more personal sense of shared feeling than does sympathize.

This doesn’t mean, however, that you cannot use sympathy or sympathize to describe “sharing or understanding the feelings of another.” The word sympathize is 300 years empathy’s senior with this meaning. You can share or even understand the pain someone is going through without going through it yourself.

Empathy, and by extension empathize, is the power of projecting one’s personality into (and so fully comprehending) the object of contemplation. It is much more personal and specific than sympathy.

To give another example, I may sympathize with the person whose house was just burglarized because I can understand how vulnerable it must make one feel, but I cannot have empathy because my house has never been robbed.

Remember the Difference

Here are two tricks to remember which of these words is which:

You can remember that sympathy deals with sorrows and feeling sorry for someone because it starts with an “ S .”

Similarly, you can remember that empathy is more personal and requires you to put yourself in that person’s shoes. Sho e s and e mpathy both have an “ E ” in them.

The two words sympathy vs. empathy cause a bit of confusion in people’s writing, but they have different meanings.

Empathy is more specific and personal than sympathy. It involves personally putting yourself in that persons shoes and knowing what they are going through.

Sympathy is a more general feeling or sorrow for another person’s situation.

What's the difference between 'sympathy' and 'empathy'?

What to Know Sympathy is a feeling of sincere concern for someone who is experiencing something difficult or painful. Empathy involves actively sharing in the person’s emotional experience.

Sympathy is a feeling of sincere concern for someone. Empathy involves stepping into that person's shoes to actively share in their emotional experience.

Sympathy vs. Empathy Difference

Sympathy and empathy both involve feelings of concern for someone, but empathy goes beyond a feeling of concern to include an active sharing in the suffering person’s emotional experience. To illustrate the distinction we present a sad dramatic scenario:

The oven’s failure when Harry the Dog was so close to perfecting his souffle recipe was terrible. Mabel the Cat could see that he was absolutely crestfallen, and offered her sympathy: “Harry,” she said, “I’m so sorry about your oven, and at this particular moment.” “I appreciate your sympathy, Mabel,” he replied. “But I wish you had some empathy—though you’re not a baker, so I understand it’s perhaps impossible.”

Mabel feels and expresses sympathy—that is, a feeling of sincere concern for Harry, who is having a difficult time. But Harry would really like Mabel to show some empathy—that is, to show that she actively shares in his emotional experience.

“Oh Harry,” said Mabel, “I’ve seen you mixing and stirring and baking late into the night for days now and I could sense how close you were to your goal. I was cheering your progress with you. I do, in fact, empathize with you.”

You’ll all be relieved to know that in this fictional world an oven repair is forthcoming.

‘Sym’ means “with”—so why is ‘empathy’ the word about feeling with someone?

We’re glad you asked. The answer is, well, complicated.

Sympathy and empathy share a common root: the Greek noun páthos , meaning “experience, misfortune, emotion, condition.” Sympathy , which has been in use since the 16th century, comes a Greek word that combined páthos with syn-/sym- , meaning “with; together with.”

Empathy was modeled on sympathy ; it was coined in the early 20th century as a translation of the German word Einfühlung (“feeling-in” or “feeling into”), and was first applied in contexts of philosophy, aesthetics, and psychology—and specifically not in general contexts involving such quotidian things as disappointing ovens.

( Páthos also gave us the word pathos , which refers to the evocation of pity or compassion, especially in a work of art or literature.)

So why is it that sympathy comes from páthos plus something that means “with,” but empathy is the word the refers to an active sharing in someone else’s emotional experience?

Well, it’s because empathy stole that job from sympathy . That’s right: from the time when sympathy came on the scene in the 16th century all the way until the mid 20th century, sympathy was the go-to word for the active sharing in someone else’s emotional experience.

She literally wept with those who wept, while in tones of peculiar love, sincerity, and firmness, she lauded them for their noble daring, and freely expressed her entire sympathy with them, and likewise with all in the prison-house. — William Still, The Underground Railroad , 1872 As he mellowed into his plaintive history his tears dripped upon the lantern in his lap, and I cried, too, from sympathy . — Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi , 1883 … when Mrs. Jennings considered that Marianne might probably be to her what Charlotte was to herself, her sympathy in her sufferings was very sincere. —Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility , 1811 There was a caress in the soft winds; and the whole mood of the darkness, he thought, was one of sympathy for himself in his distress. —Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage , 1895

When empathy was coined in the early 20th century, it referred to something quite different: the act of imagining one’s own ideas, feelings, or attitudes as fully inhabiting something one is observing, such as a work of art or a natural occurrence. Someone experiencing empathy in this sense was actively projecting their own feelings onto someone or something else—often experiencing a bodily sensation in response to a dance, a painting, a sunset—or a wrestling match.

Most of you have gone to a grunt and groan wrestling match. Get a picture of two fuzzy-chested, mobile-muscled mammoths tugging at each other. Haven't you found yourself helping—twisting and turning in your seat, trying to break the hold? That is empathy —you have by imagination become a wrestler and crawled into the ring. — The Academic Department of the Infantry School, The Infantry School Mailing List , October 1946

This now-technical use persisted, and sympathy and empathy were contrasted accordingly:

The act or capacity of entering into or sharing the feelings of another is known as sympathy . Empathy , on the other hand, not only is an identification of sorts but also connotes an awareness of one's separateness from the observed. One of the most difficult tasks put upon man is reflective commitment to another's problem while maintaining his own identity. — Journal of the American Medical Association , 24 May 1958 A fuller account would clearly require empathy as well as sympathy —a leap of imagination into Leadbelly's racial conflicts that would almost certainly have been facilitated by more candid interviews with surviving African-American witnesses as well as the personal experience of racial bias. —Robert Christgau, The New York Times Book Review , 17 Jan. 1993 Empathy has become a fad word for sympathy , though it was adopted expressly to mean something different from sympathy : 'intellectual insight into another's emotional state without sharing in it.' —John H. Dirckx, The Language of Medicine (2nd Ed.), 1993

By the mid-20th century, however, empathy had developed the meaning we now know today: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another.

But the letters show, as he repeats stories told to him by participants in battle, the kind of imaginative empathy that makes him fully deserve his reputation as a war poet. —Monroe K. Spears, American Ambitions , 1987 Criticism, like fiction, was an act of empathy for Ray, putting yourself in the other guy's shoes. —Jay McInerney, The New York Times Book Review , 6 Aug. 1989

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Sympathy vs. Empathy | Explained

3-minute read

• 1st September 2023

Are you sympathetic to someone’s feelings…or are you empathetic? Or do they mean the same thing? If you find sympathy vs. empathy confusing – don’t worry! We’re here to help.

While sympathy and empathy both relate to connection and understanding (and are sometimes even used interchangeably), they actually mean different things. In this post, we’ll explain the difference between sympathy and empathy , as well as how both relate to compassion .

The Definition of Sympathy

Sympathy is the act of recognizing and acknowledging another person’s feelings , even if you haven’t personally experienced them yourself. Essentially, being sympathetic means expressing care and concern for someone’s well-being (such as offering comfort during times of hardship), although you can’t directly relate to what that person is experiencing.

For example, it’s possible to be sympathetic toward, and console, a friend who has lost an important tennis match, even if you’ve never played sports yourself or were personally impacted by her loss.

Look at these examples:

The Definition of Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings and perspectives of another person. It goes beyond sympathy (which requires acknowledging someone’s emotions) and involves actually feeling what the other person is feeling.

However, empathy is more than just relating to someone on an emotional level ( emotional empathy ): there is also a cognitive element.

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Cognitive empathy is the ability to understand someone else’s point of view and grasp their emotions without necessarily feeling them on a personal level. In other words, it allows you to mentally step into someone else’s shoes, see the situation from their perspective, and understand what they’re thinking and feeling.

Here’s how to use empathy in a sentence:

Sympathy vs. Empathy vs. Compassion

Compassion is related to both empathy and sympathy – it’s a genuine concern for the well-being of others, which is often accompanied by a desire to alleviate their suffering or difficulties. Compassion goes beyond acknowledging someone’s struggles and compels action. Here’s an example to illustrate:

To summarize sympathy vs. empathy . vs. compassion : Sympathy is acknowledging another’s emotions, empathy is understanding and sharing another’s feelings and perspectives, and compassion is a deep concern for others’ well-being, resulting in action to alleviate their difficulties or suffering.

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Sympathy vs. Empathy

How does sympathy differ from empathy and what about compassion.

Posted July 14, 2020 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

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When a friend is suffering from some misfortune, loss, or stressful experience, we want to be able to commiserate in a way that is both helpful and supportive. Whether it’s a physical problem, like a health issue, or an emotional problem, like a breakup from a romantic partner, how do we respond in a way that emanates warmth and understanding? Do we offer sympathy or empathy?

What's Empathy?

Empathy and sympathy are similar, yet they differ in how they can make one who is suffering feel. Empathy is a sense that you can understand and share the feelings of another. This "shared" experience can generate a profound understanding because you attempt to know what it’s like to “walk in their shoes.”

Let’s take an example: Your friend’s Mom just died of cancer. If someone you know has died, you may feel empathy for your friend because you have “been there”—you remember how lost you were, and how alone you felt. You recall how for months or longer you felt like you had a huge hole in your heart and your life. Because of the shared experience, you may know how the other feels so you can really empathize with their sense of emptiness and utter loss. But even if you never experienced whatever your friend is experiencing, you can still feel empathy by mentally or emotionally putting yourself in "their shoes."

Unfortunately, while researching my new book, Outsmart Your Smartphone , I discovered that now, in the digital age, we are less likely to be empathic and more likely to be narcissistic . So we have a lot of work to do to get our empathy gears moving again.

What's Sympathy?

Sympathy is a feeling of pity or sorrow for someone else's misfortune. Sympathy may not be received as well as empathy, but sorrowful sympathy can offer some warmth and support in the face of someone else’s misfortune—if administered with sensitivity and sincerity.

On the other hand, if you give sympathy by feeling pity, it may generate feelings of alienation in others. Of course, try to be as authentic as possible in responding to others. But also try to be sensitive to the needs, desires, and emotions of the person who is hurting. Even just being there silently for him or her can often be helpful.

What About Compassion?

Compassion is more of an attitude, a way of thinking—it's a tendency to care for others and humanity, even from a distance. Compassion may reach further than a single individual potentially to masses of people with a particular ailment, experience, or hardship. Although compassion is generally good for us and others, health workers, nurses, and other service personnel can sometimes suffer compassion fatigue because caring for others, emotionally or physically, can be exhausting. And this can hurt their well-being.

In Sum: Empathy vs. Sympathy

Empathy is a one-on-one connection because of a deep understanding that comes from sharing an emotional experience. Sympathy is a feeling of sadness or pity felt for another person. And compassion is a broader sense of care for the world at large.

Konrath, S. (2013). The empathy paradox: Increasing disconnection in the age of increasing connection. In Handbook of research on technoself: Identity in a technological society (pp. 204-228). IGI Global.

Tchiki Davis, Ph.D. , is a consultant, writer, and expert on well-being technology.

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Empathy vs sympathy: key characteristics

What's the difference between empathy vs. sympathy?

4 ways to practice empathy

What can seem like empathy but isn’t?

Compassion vs. Empathy

Empathy and sympathy are two terms that are often used interchangeably. But only one of them allows people to connect deeper than surface level.

From a high level, empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, involving a deep emotional connection. Sympathy is expressing care and concern for someone's feelings without necessarily sharing those emotions yourself, focusing more on compassion and support.

But what are the more nuanced differences between empathy and sympathy? And which should you practice when?

Let’s explore how empathy and sympathy differ and why one of them is a better tool to help you connect with others at work and in life.

Empathy vs sympathy: key characteristics 

Understanding the differences between empathy and sympathy can help you choose the most appropriate one given your circumstances. While empathy supports a deeper connection, there are times when a sympathetic response is more fitting.

To clarify, here is an overview empathy and sympathy and some examples of each.

What is empathy? 

• Feeling what someone else feels
• Actively listening to what they have to say
• Not judging
• Being aware of nuances and non-verbal cues
• Discovering their perspective
• Acknowledging everyone's feelings

Empathy is the ability to understand and share a person’s feelings. If you’re an empathetic person, you can listen to what someone else has to say without judgment.

This ability to connect is not limited by your own experiences. An empathetic person can feel someone else’s emotions, regardless of their personal experiences.

You’re able to discover their perspective with awareness of non-verbal cues. You’re also able to simply listen without feeling forced to provide unwanted advice.

Plus, you can acknowledge everyone’s feelings in a given situation. This is particularly helpful in leadership positions . Looking at the bigger picture can help make more informed decisions.

Practicing empathy, instead of sympathy only, can help you get the emotional clarity you need to build upon important relationships. It can let you see another point of view.

Having empathy can also help you to   improve your communication skills.   That’s because you’re able to listen fully to others and understand their perspectives.

In fact, research shows that empathy can even   help sustain cooperation during social dilemmas.   Other studies have found that in a service setting,   empathy can reduce discrimination and unethical behavior.

This is important to   foster a happier, healthier workplace   and   build a sense of belonging.

What is sympathy?

• Having thoughts about what someone feels
• When in conversation, giving unasked advice
• Passing judgment
• Only noticing the surface level issue
• Understanding only from your perspective
• Ignoring or suppressing your own emotions

Unlike empathy, practicing sympathy doesn’t mean you feel what someone else feels. Instead, you feel pity or sorry for someone else’s feelings.

You feel bad for someone, but you don’t understand how they feel.

A sympathetic approach only provides a surface-level understanding of someone else’s situation. This understanding is typically from your perspective, not theirs.

Sympathy can also lead someone to give unsolicited advice to help the other person deal with their emotions.

When offering this advice, it's common for sympathetic people to pass judgment. Unlike empathy, it’s still possible to pass judgment with sympathy.

What's the difference between empathy vs. sympathy? 

Both empathy and sympathy share the suffix   pathy.   This suffix comes from the Greek word   pathos.

Pathos can mean several things. It can mean “emotion” or “feelings.” But it can also mean “suffering.”

This means that both empathy and sympathy   deal with emotions . However, there’s one big difference between empathy and sympathy.

Empathy involves feeling what someone else feels, while sympathy doesn’t. Sympathy instead involves understanding someone else’s emotions but from your own perspective.

Empathy vs sympathy examples

Let’s look at empathy vs sympathy in similar situations.

First, imagine someone in your place of work was just reprimanded. As a result, they feel sad, nervous, and disappointed in themselves.

If you were to express sympathy, you could tell them that you’re sorry that they’re going through this. However, this wouldn’t stop you from feeling judgment towards their situation.

Perhaps you judge them for having been reprimanded. Some people might even say, “At least you still have your job!”

On the other hand, you wouldn’t say this if you were an empath. With empathy, you feel the sadness, nervousness, and disappointment the other person feels. You care about their well-being.

You can let them know they’re not alone. You don’t need to find a solution to their problem. Instead, you can say something like:

“I’m really sorry. I’m so glad you told me. I’m here for you.”

You resist the urge to try to make it go away.

Empathy is about connecting with the other person instead of trying to find an appropriate response.

Here’s another example. If someone at work tells you they’re having marriage problems, sympathy could look like this:

“Oh, that sucks. Have you tried marriage counseling?”

On the other hand, practicing empathy means fully listening to the other person. If this is someone you're comfortable with, you can ask them if they want to talk about it with you.

There’s no need to try to fix the issue for them. Instead, offer a moment of connection.

Which is better: sympathy or empathy? 

Sympathy doesn’t help you build deep connections with other people. This is because sympathy only offers surface-level understanding. It doesn’t allow you to see from someone else’s perspective.

On the other hand, empathy lets you walk in someone else’s shoes. As a result, you can better provide what they really need.

In the workplace, empathy can help you connect with your peers and get on the same level as them. Doing so can help you   build a high-performance team.

Practicing empathy, especially at work, is no easy feat.

According to Businessolver’s 2021 Empathy Study,   70% of CEOs say they struggle to demonstrate empathy at work consistently .

68% of them also believe they'll be less respected if they show empathy in the workplace.

However, only 25% of employees say that empathy in their organizations is sufficient.

Empathy is becoming a growing priority for employees as more and more Gen Z employees join the workforce. They’re the fastest-growing group in the workforce right now. 

90% of Gen Z employees say that they’re more likely to stay at their jobs if their employer is empathetic.

If you have a leadership position in your organization, practicing empathy and making it a priority is key to building a more resilient workforce.

Here are four ways you can do so:

1. Listen actively instead of focusing on what to say next

Even when listening to someone else, people are often focused on their own thoughts.

It’s easy to think about what to say next instead of focusing on what the other person is saying. This gets in the way of fully and actively listening to the other person. It also makes it difficult to understand the emotions of another person.

Failure to listen will make it difficult to empathize. 

Instead of focusing on your response, pay close attention to what someone is telling you. Listen attentively, not just for their words, but for other non-verbal cues, too.

Watch their body language and tone of voice to understand how they feel. You can easily miss these signals when you’re focused on your own response.

When the other person is finished speaking, take a moment to process the information. Only once you’ve processed all nuances of the conversation should you focus on what you want to say.

If you have a position of leadership, encourage your team to practice active listening.

2. Repeat in your own words

One of the first things you can say after listening to someone is to repeat what they've said but in your own words.

You can phrase this as something that you’ve heard.

Here’s an example:

“What I’m hearing is that you don’t feel valued in the team when Jeremy and Sophia speak over you. Is this right?”

When you present something as what you’ve heard, it places the burden on you, not on the other person. If you heard or understood something wrong, they can correct you.

3. Prioritize emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is an important soft skill to practice in your workplace if you want to improve empathy.

People who have high emotional intelligence tend to be:

• More self-aware
• Able to manage themselves
• Aware of social cues
• More capable of managing relationships

In the workplace, it's crucial to prioritize emotional intelligence in your team. It facilitates strong communicators, collaborators, and leaders.

4. Understand what the other person needs

Everyone is wired differently. We all have different needs.

It’s easy to imagine what you'd need if you were in the same situation as someone else. But what you need isn’t necessarily the same as what they need.

Resist the urge to automatically leap to conclusions about what someone needs when they tell you what they’re going through.

Instead, use your listening skills to figure out what they need. If you’re not sure, ask. It’s better to ask someone what they need than to assume and provide the wrong kind of support.

What can seem like empathy but isn’t? 

Some scenarios can feel like empathy but aren’t really. Here are some examples to look for:

1. Someone in grief

Supporting someone who is grieving is a great example of what could be empathy, but it isn’t always.

When you go see someone in grief and tell them how sorry you are, it can feel like you’re empathetic to their situation. After all, you know it must be terrible to live a loss like that.

Maybe you even take the time to bring them flowers or a card.

However, this is an example of sympathy. That’s why most cards designed for people in grief say “Our Sympathies” on them. They’re also called sympathy cards for a reason. 

Showing empathy requires a lot more than offering your condolences. It takes effort to imagine yourself in the grieving person’s shoes.

It also takes effort to be there for them and offer them the support they need.

2. A coworker struggling to keep up

A coworker comes to you to complain about struggling to focus and catch up with all their tasks.

As a result, you bombard them with your best time-saving techniques to help them get everything done. You feel this is empathetic because you are taking time out of your day to help them through something.

But the next day, you find that this coworker comes to you to complain again. Why is that? Didn’t you already help them?

This can happen because the first scenario didn’t show true empathy. While you did help them, you didn’t take the time to connect with how they felt.

When you take the time to do so, you realize that more is going on than you previously thought. They’re having issues at home, which are getting in the way of their focus.

By listening fully to what they have to say, you help them feel heard and supported. As a result, this coworker is now better able to focus afterward.

3. A friend who needs emotional support

A friend starts to complain about being tired because they struggle to fall asleep at night.

You quickly interrupt them to say, “Oh, I’ve been through that before. I know that’s really hard. What helped me was to take melatonin every night. It works like magic.”

Although it feels like you’re empathizing with them, this isn’t really the case. Instead of focusing on the other person, you redirected the conversation to be about you.

Empathy instead requires you to put your own feelings aside and focus on the other person.

Only by listening will you find out what the other person is looking for.

Compassion vs. empathy 

Compassion and empathy   are often used interchangeably. Though there's a common thread between them, the two concepts are distinctly different.

Both compassion end empathy are fueled by an understanding of another human's emotions. They both come with a desire and ability to connect with someone else and feel their pain.

Compassion goes a step further as an individual recognizes the pain in another and is motivated to help them.

That said, compassion does require a degree of separation. To effectively help someone else, you should be able to manage those empathetic feelings so that they don’t overwhelm you. With these feelings managed, a person has the capacity to find an appropriate response and see it through.

Empathy vs sympathy: know the difference 

Sympathy is an expected sentiment. But empathy goes beyond what people expect.

It helps people connect, both at work and in life.

If you want to learn how to practice empathy, you can try personal coaching through BetterUp.

Schedule a demo today   to see how BetterUp can help you develop emotional intelligence and reach your career potential. 

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

Compassion vs. empathy: Understanding the difference

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• Empathy vs Sympathy | Difference & Examples

Empathy vs. Sympathy | Difference & Examples

Published on 25 July 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on 14 February 2023.

Empathy and sympathy are related words that differ in meaning. Though they’re often used interchangeably, they differ in the kind of emotional involvement they describe.

• Empathy is a noun describing the ability to relate to another person’s feelings by imagining yourself in their situation.
• Sympathy is a noun describing compassion for another person who is facing difficult circumstances or negative feelings. It suggests that you feel pity for someone but don’t necessarily fully understand their feelings.

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Table of contents

The meaning of empathy, ‘sympathy’ to mean compassion, ‘sympathy’ to mean ‘unity’, ‘sympathy’ to mean ‘loyalty’, ‘my (deepest) sympathies’, worksheet: sympathy vs empathy, other interesting language articles.

Empathy refers to the ability to imaginatively experience another person’s emotions or thoughts. The emphasis is on relating to another person’s feelings, whether intellectually or by connecting them to your own experiences: putting yourself in their shoes.

The verb form of empathy is empathise , meaning ‘to experience empathy for someone or something’. It’s commonly followed by the preposition ‘with’. The adjectival form of empathy is empathetic (or sometimes empathic ).

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Sympathy is typically used to describe compassion or pity for another person’s negative feelings or circumstances. It suggests that you feel bad for them, but not necessarily that you fully understand their feelings (though it doesn’t exclude this possibility).

The verb form of sympathy is sympathise , meaning ‘to experience sympathy for someone or something’. It’s commonly followed by the word ‘with’. The adjectival form of sympathy is sympathetic .

Sympathy can also be used to describe something as working in harmony or in unity with other components. It’s preceded by the word ‘in’. Sometimes an adjective is added between the words for emphasis.

Sympathy can also be used to describe a state of loyalty or a tendency to support a certain idea or group. In this context, it’s written in the plural form.

My sympathies is an expression commonly used to offer condolences to someone experiencing loss or grief. My deepest sympathies is a common variation of the expression. Either expression can be used on its own or as part of a sentence.

Do you want to test your knowledge of the difference between ’empathy’ and ‘sympathy’? Use the practice worksheet below! Fill in a form of ’empathy’ or ‘sympathy’ in each of the sentences.

• Practice questions
• Answers and explanations
• Sandra’s parents are also divorced, so she feels a lot of _______ for Dajana.
• Tyra has a lot of _______ for people struggling with poverty. She donates a third of her income to charity.
• To _______ with someone is to imaginatively experience their feelings.
• The townspeople worked in _______ with each other to extinguish the fire.
• I have neither Republican nor Democratic _______.
• I expressed my deepest _______ to the widow.
• Here, ’empathy’ is the more appropriate option, showing that Sandra can understand Amy’s feelings because of a similar experience in her own life.
• Here, ‘sympathy’ makes the most sense . Tyra feels compassion for the people she’s trying to help, but there’s no suggestion that she knows what it feels like to be in their situation.
• The present verb form of ’empathy’ is ’empathize’.
• Here, ‘in sympathy’ is used to mean ‘in harmony’ or ‘in unity’.
• Here, ‘sympathies’ is used to mean ‘loyalties’ or ‘allegiances’.
• ‘My sympathies’ and ‘my deepest sympathies’ are common expressions used to offer condolences to someone experiencing loss.

If you want to know more about commonly confused words , definitions , and differences between US and UK spellings , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

Confused words

• Affect vs effect
• Further vs farther
• Loose vs lose
• Whose vs who’s

Definitions

• Bear with me
• Presumptuous

US vs. UK spellings

• Burned or burnt
• Canceled or cancelled
• Dreamt or dreamed
• Gray or grey
• Theater vs theatre

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Empathy vs. Sympathy: What Is the Difference?

And Why You Should Care

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• B.S., Texas A&M University

Is that “empathy” or “sympathy” you're showing? While the two words are often incorrectly used interchangeably, the difference in their emotional impact is important. Empathy, as the ability to actually feel what another person is feeling — literally “walk a mile in their shoes” — goes beyond sympathy, a simple expression of concern for another person’s misfortune. Taken to extremes, deep or extended feelings of empathy can actually be harmful to one’s emotional health.

Sympathy is a feeling and expression of concern for someone, often accompanied by a wish for them to be happier or better off. “Oh dear, I hope the chemo helps.” In general, sympathy implies a deeper, more personal, level of concern than pity, a simple expression of sorrow. 

However, unlike empathy, sympathy does not imply that one’s feelings for another are based on shared experiences or emotions.

As natural as it might seem, feeling sympathy does not occur automatically. Instead, prerequisites for feeling sympathy include:

• attention to the subject person or group;
• believing that subject is in a state of need; and
• knowledge of the specific characteristics of the subjects’ given situation

To feel sympathy for a person or group, one must first pay attention to them. Outside distractions severely limit the ability to produce strong affective responses of sympathy. When not distracted, people can better attend to and respond to a variety of emotional subjects and experiences. Attention enables one to experience sympathy. In many cases, sympathy cannot be experienced without giving the subject undivided attention.

The individual’s or group’s perceived level of need elicits sympathy. Different states of need—such as perceived vulnerability or pain—require different sorts of human reactions, including those that range from attention to sympathy. For example, a person suffering from cancer might draw stronger feelings of sympathy than a person with a cold. A person who is perceived as being “deserving” of help is more likely to get it.

Sympathy is also believed to be based on the principle of the powerful helping the vulnerable. The young and healthy help the elderly and sick, for example. To some extent, the natural maternal-paternal instincts to care for one’s children or family are thought to trigger feelings of sympathy. Similarly, people who live in close geographic proximity—such as neighbors and citizens of a given country—are more likely to experience sympathy towards each other. Social proximity follows the same pattern: Members of certain groups, such as racial groups, tend to be more sympathetic to people who are also members of the group.

As a translation into English of the German word Einfühlung — “feeling into” — made by psychologist Edward Titchener in 1909, “empathy” is the ability to recognize and share another person’s emotions.

Empathy requires the ability to recognize the suffering of another person from their point of view and to openly share their emotions, including painful distress.

Empathy is often confused with sympathy, pity and compassion, which are merely recognition of another person’s distress. Pity typically implies that the suffering person does not “deserve” what has happened to him or her and is powerless to do anything about it. Pity shows a lower degree of understanding and engagement with the suffering person’s situation than empathy, sympathy, or compassion.

Compassion is a deeper level of empathy, demonstrating an actual desire to help the suffering person.

Since it requires shared experiences, people can generally feel empathy only for other people, not for animals. While people may be able to sympathize with a horse, for example, they cannot truly empathize with it.

Psychologists say that empathy is essential in forming relationships and acting compassionately toward others. Since it involves experiencing another person’s point of view—stepping outside one’s self—empathy enables genuinely helping behaviors that come easily and naturally, rather than having to be forced.  

Empathetic people work effectively in groups, make more lasting friendships, and are more likely to step in when they see others being mistreated. It is believed that people begin to show empathy in infancy and develop the trait through childhood and adolescence. Despite their level of concern for others, however, most people tend to feel deeper empathy for people similar to themselves compared to people outside their family, community, race, ethnicity or cultural background.

The Three Types of Empathy

According to psychologist and pioneer in the field of emotions, Paul Ekman, Ph.D. , three distinct types of empathy have been identified:

• Cognitive Empathy : Also called “perspective taking,” cognitive empathy is the ability to understand and predict the feelings and thoughts of other by imagining one’s self in their situation.
• Emotional Empathy : Closely related to cognitive empathy, emotional empathy is the ability to actually feel what another person feels or at least feel emotions similar to theirs. In emotional empathy, there is always some level of shared feelings. Emotional empathy can be a trait among persons diagnosed with Asperger syndrome .
• Compassionate Empathy : Driven by their deep understanding of the other person’s feelings based on shared experiences, compassionately empathic people make actual efforts to help.

While it can give meaning to our lives, Dr. Ekman warns that empathy can also go terribly wrong.

The Dangers of Empathy

Empathy can give purpose to our lives and truly comfort people in distress, but it can also do great harm. While showing an empathetic response to the tragedy and trauma of others can be helpful, it can also, if misdirected, turn us into what Professor James Dawes has called “emotional parasites.”

Empathy Can Lead to Misplaced Anger

Empathy can make people angry — perhaps dangerously so — if they mistakenly perceive that another person is threatening a person they care for.

For example, while at a public gathering, you notice a heavyset, casually dressed man who you think is “staring” at your pre-teenage daughter. While the man has remained expressionless and has not moved from his spot, your empathetic understanding of what he “might” be thinking of doing to your daughter drives you into a state of rage.

While there was nothing in the man’s expression or body language that should have lead you to believe he intended to harm your daughter, your empathetic understanding what was probably “going on inside his head” took you there.

Danish family therapist Jesper Juul has referred to empathy and aggression as “existential twins.”

Empathy Can Drain Your Wallet

For years, psychologists have reported cases of overly empathetic patients endangering the well-being of themselves and their families by giving away their life savings to random needy individuals. Such overly empathetic people who feel they are somehow responsible for the distress of others have developed an empathy-based guilt.

The better-known condition of “survivor guilt” is a form of empathy-based guilt in which an empathic person incorrectly feels that his or her own happiness has come at the cost or may have even caused another person’s misery.

According to psychologist Lynn O’Connor , persons who regularly act out of empathy-based guilt, or “ pathological altruism ,” tend to develop mild depression in later-life.

Empathy Can Harm Relationships

Psychologists warn that empathy should never be confused with love. While love can make any relationship — good or bad — better, empathy cannot and can even hasten the end of a strained relationship. Essentially, love can cure, empathy cannot.

As an example of how even well-intentioned empathy can damage a relationship, consider this scene from the animated comedy television series The Simpsons: Bart, bemoaning the failing grades on his report card, says, “This is the worst semester of my life.” His dad, Homer, based on his own school experience, tries to comfort his son by telling him, “Your worst semester so far.”

Empathy Can Lead to Fatigue

Rehabilitation and trauma counselor Mark Stebnicki coined the term “ empathy fatigue ” to refer to a state of physical exhaustion resulting from repeated or prolonged personal involvement in the chronic illness, disability, trauma, grief, and loss of others.

While more common among mental health counselors, any overly empathetic person can experience empathy fatigue. According to Stebnicki, “high touch” professionals like doctors, nurses, lawyers, and teachers tend to suffer from empathy fatigue.

Paul Bloom, Ph.D. , professor of psychology and cognitive science at Yale University, goes so far as to suggest that due to its inherent dangers, people need less empathy rather than more. 

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Essays About Empathy: Top 5 Examples Plus Prompts

If you’re writing essays about empathy, check out our essay examples and prompts to get started. 

Empathy is the ability to understand and share other people’s emotions. It is the very notion which To Kill a Mockingbird character Atticus Finch was driving at when he advised his daughter Scout to “climb inside [other people’s] skin and walk around in it.” 

Being able to feel the joy and sorrow of others and see the world from their perspective are extraordinary human capabilities that shape our social landscape. But beyond its effect on personal and professional relationships, empathy motivates kind actions that can trickle positive change across society. 

If you are writing an article about empathy, here are five insightful essay examples to inspire you: 

1. Do Art and Literature Cultivate Empathy? by Nick Haslam

2. empathy: overrated by spencer kornhaber, 3. in our pandemic era, why we must teach our children compassion by rebecca roland, 4. why empathy is a must-have business strategy by belinda parmar, 5. the evolution of empathy by frans de waal, 1. teaching empathy in the classroom., 2. how can companies nurture empathy in the workplace, 3. how can we develop empathy, 4. how do you know if someone is empathetic, 5. does empathy spark helpful behavior , 6. empathy vs. sympathy., 7. empathy as a winning strategy in sports. , 8. is there a decline in human empathy, 9. is digital media affecting human empathy, 10. your personal story of empathy..

“Exposure to literature and the sorts of movies that do not involve car chases might nurture our capacity to get inside the skins of other people. Alternatively, people who already have well-developed empathic abilities might simply find the arts more engaging…”

Haslam, a psychology professor, laid down several studies to present his thoughts and analysis on the connection between empathy and art. While one study has shown that literary fiction can help develop empathy, there’s still lacking evidence to show that more exposure to art and literature can help one be more empathetic. You can also check out these essays about character .

“Empathy doesn’t even necessarily make day-to-day life more pleasant, they contend, citing research that shows a person’s empathy level has little or no correlation with kindness or giving to charity.”

This article takes off from a talk of psychology experts on a crusade against empathy. The experts argue that empathy could be “innumerate, parochial, bigoted” as it zooms one to focus on an individual’s emotions and fail to see the larger picture. This problem with empathy can motivate aggression and wars and, as such, must be replaced with a much more innate trait among humans: compassion.

“Showing empathy can be especially hard for kids… Especially in times of stress and upset, they may retreat to focusing more on themselves — as do we adults.”

Roland encourages fellow parents to teach their kids empathy, especially amid the pandemic, where kindness is needed the most. She advises parents to seize everyday opportunities by ensuring “quality conversations” and reinforcing their kids to view situations through other people’s lenses. 

“Mental health, stress and burnout are now perceived as responsibilities of the organization. The failure to deploy empathy means less innovation, lower engagement and reduced loyalty, as well as diluting your diversity agenda.”

The spike in anxiety disorders and mental health illnesses brought by the COVID-19 pandemic has given organizations a more considerable responsibility: to listen to employees’ needs sincerely. Parmar underscores how crucial it is for a leader to take empathy as a fundamental business strategy and provides tips on how businesses can adjust to the new norm. 

“The evolution of empathy runs from shared emotions and intentions between individuals to a greater self/other distinction—that is, an “unblurring” of the lines between individuals.”

The author traces the evolutionary roots of empathy back to our primate heritage — ultimately stemming from the parental instinct common to mammals. Ultimately, the author encourages readers to conquer “tribal differences” and continue turning to their emotions and empathy when making moral decisions.

10 Interesting Writing prompts on Essays About Empathy

Check out below our list of exciting prompts to help you buckle down to your writing:

This essay discuss teaching empathy in the classroom. Is this an essential skill that we should learn in school? Research how schools cultivate children’s innate empathy and compassion. Then, based on these schools’ experiences, provide tips on how other schools can follow suit. 

An empathetic leader is said to help boost positive communication with employees, retain indispensable talent and create positive long-term outcomes. This is an interesting topic to research, and there are plenty of studies on this topic online with data that you can use in your essay. So, pick these best practices to promote workplace empathy and discuss their effectiveness.

Write down a list of deeds and activities people can take as their first steps to developing empathy. These activities can range from volunteering in their communities to reaching out to a friend in need simply. Then, explain how each of these acts can foster empathy and kindness. 

Based on studies, list the most common traits, preferences, and behaviour of an empathetic person. For example, one study has shown that empathetic people prefer non-violent movies. Expound on this list with the support of existing studies. You can support or challenge these findings in this essay for a compelling argumentative essay. Make sure to conduct your research and cite all the sources used. 

Empathy is a buzzword closely associated with being kind and helpful. However, many experts in recent years have been opining that it takes more than empathy to propel an act of kindness and that misplaced empathy can even lead to apathy. Gather what psychologists and emotional experts have been saying on this debate and input your analysis. 

Empathy and sympathy have been used synonymously, even as these words differ in meaning. Enlighten your readers on the differences and provide situations that clearly show the contrast between empathy and sympathy. You may also add your take on which trait is better to cultivate.

Empathy has been deemed vital in building cooperation. A member who empathizes with the team can be better in tune with the team’s goals, cooperate effectively and help drive success. You may research how athletic teams foster a culture of empathy beyond the sports fields. Write about how coaches are integrating empathy into their coaching strategy. 

Several studies have warned that empathy has been on a downward trend over the years. Dive deep into studies that investigate this decline. Summarize each and find common points. Then, cite the significant causes and recommendations in this study. You can also provide insights on whether this should cause alarm and how societies should address the problem. 

There is a broad sentiment that social media has been driving people to live in a bubble and be less empathetic — more narcissistic. However, some point out that intensifying competition and increasing economic pressures are more to blame for reducing our empathetic feelings. Research and write about what experts have to say and provide a personal touch by adding your experience. 

Acts of kindness abound every day. But sometimes, we fail to capture or take them for granted. Write about your unforgettable encounters with empathetic people. Then, create a storytelling essay to convey your personal view on empathy. This activity can help you appreciate better the little good things in life. 

Check out our general resource of essay writing topics and stimulate your creative mind! 

See our round-up of the best essay checkers to ensure your writing is error-free.

Yna Lim is a communications specialist currently focused on policy advocacy. In her eight years of writing, she has been exposed to a variety of topics, including cryptocurrency, web hosting, agriculture, marketing, intellectual property, data privacy and international trade. A former journalist in one of the top business papers in the Philippines, Yna is currently pursuing her master's degree in economics and business.

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Empathy vs Sympathy: Which One Are You Feeling?

Helly Douglas

Do you think empathy and sympathy mean the same thing? You’re not alone. They are easily confused.

Both words share the same Greek root word pathos meaning experience , suffering or emotion . They explain our reaction to the negative experiences of another person.

• Sympathy is our ability to share someone else’s feelings when they suffer a misfortune.
• Empathy means understanding another person’s feelings as if we were having them ourselves.

Let’s look at the difference between the two.

What Is Sympathy?

What is empathy, how to create sympathy and empathy when writing, empathy vs sympathy: conclusion.

Sympathy is often used to describe sharing someone's emotional pain. You’ll find messages of sympathy inside condolence cards.

When you feel bad for someone, you’re feeling sympathy. You feel sad they are suffering a misfortune. These feelings can be towards an individual or a group.

You need not be familiar with the negative experience. You can feel sympathetic for a person whose house has burnt down, despite never having been in a similar situation.

Leaders often express their sympathy in the media for communities damaged by disaster, including:

• War and conflict, including terrorist attacks.
• Natural disasters such as flooding, wildfires, and extreme weather.
• The destruction of important artefacts and buildings.
• Deaths caused by accidents such as a bridge or building collapsing.

Sympathy is also used to describe feeling a shared opinion or taste, such as in politics or with charities. For example, you might have sympathy with a political party because of shared views on healthcare.

Examples of Sympathy

• I was sad to hear that Cathy’s husband died. She has my sympathy.
• We are sympathetic to the plight of children made orphans by the war.
• Brian has my sympathy. He lost his job last month.
• Our sympathies are with the families who lost loved ones when the building collapsed.
• We offered our sympathies to the people of France after Notre Dame burnt down.

Have you heard of the expression ‘putting yourself in someone else’s shoes’? This idiom describes empathy. It is the ability to imagine yourself in the same situation as someone else. The opposite of empathy is a feeling of distance or apathy.

You could think you would act differently to the same situation, but you can understand why someone might feel the way they do. You might not share the same feelings yourself, although you often will.

Unlike sympathy, empathy requires shared experience, feeling, or emotion. It is impossible to feel empathy for a position you can’t relate to.

We normally express empathy in negative situations. You imagine how someone feels, even if those emotions have not been explicitly expressed. Empathy is also used to describe projecting our emotions and feelings, such as onto a piece of art or nature.

Examples of Empathy

• After losing my mum to cancer last year, I know how it feels to lose a loved one.
• I also had to change jobs without much time for a handover: it is a stressful experience.
• As I work from home, I can empathise with how lonely you feel when the kids have gone to school.
• I can imagine how frightening it must have been when the fire spread.
• I can empathise with the families who lost everything in a flood as I experienced the same thing when my house burnt down.

Are you a writer? If you want to evoke strong feelings in your reader, empathy and sympathy are important emotions.

Both make engaging characters and a believable story. If someone feels sympathetic, there is often empathy there too. It is hard to feel sorrowful for someone if you have no shared experience.

Empathy with a character means the reader can imagine themselves in that situation but do not necessarily share the same feelings.

It can be hard to create empathy if you are writing about something outside your reader’s understanding. But you can focus on common experiences to evoke it. For example, your reader may never have been a broker on a stock exchange, but they will have experienced high-pressured times in their life when they had to make a snap decision. Focusing on this will evoke empathy as well as sympathy for their plight.

Sympathy is more emotional. You can focus on a sorrowful situation to engage the sympathy of your reader. It is a great way to make a character more likeable or to create a tragic hero .

It is easy to understand why people confuse sympathy and empathy. Both explain our reactions to the misfortunes of others. You will often find them together, and it is common to see them wrongly treated as synonyms .

A simple way to identify which one you are feeling is to look for any commonality with the feeling, situation, or experience. Can you imagine yourself in the same situation? This will show you whether you empathise. If you only feel sad for them, you’re feeling sympathetic. Both emotions can help you create a great piece of writing.

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Helly Douglas is a UK writer and teacher, specialising in education, children, and parenting. She loves making the complex seem simple through blogs, articles, and curriculum content. You can check out her work at hellydouglas.com or connect on Twitter @hellydouglas. When she’s not writing, you will find her in a classroom, being a mum or battling against the wilderness of her garden—the garden is winning!

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Sympathy vs. Empathy: Understanding the Key Differences for Better Writing!

By: Author ESLBUZZ

Posted on Last updated: August 3, 2023

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Welcome to our article on the differences between sympathy and empathy. While these two words are often used interchangeably, they actually have distinct meanings and implications. In this article, we will explore the nuances of these words and provide examples to help you understand how to use them correctly in different situations.

Throughout this article, we will delve into the differences between sympathy and empathy, exploring their definitions, usage, and implications. We will provide examples of when to use each word, and offer tips for using them effectively in your writing and communication. Whether you are a student, a professional, or simply someone who wants to improve their language skills, this article will help you master the distinctions between sympathy and empathy.

Sympathy vs. Empathy

Understanding Sympathy vs. Empathy

Understanding sympathy.

Sympathy is a term commonly used to describe the feelings of compassion and concern we have for others who are experiencing difficult situations. While it is often used interchangeably with empathy, there are some important differences between the two.

Origins of Sympathy

The word “sympathy” comes from the Greek words “syn” and “pathos,” which together mean “feeling together.” This suggests that sympathy involves sharing in the emotions of others, even if we have not directly experienced the situation ourselves.

Expression of Sympathy

When we express sympathy, we are acknowledging the difficulty of someone else’s situation and offering our support and concern. This can take many forms, including:

• Offering words of comfort or encouragement
• Sending a card or gift to show we care
• Providing practical assistance, such as cooking a meal or running errands
• Simply being present and listening to the person’s concerns

It is important to note that while sympathy involves showing concern for others, it does not necessarily require us to fully understand or share their emotions.

To illustrate this, consider the following example: If a friend loses their job, we may feel sympathy for them and offer our support. However, if we have never experienced job loss ourselves, we may not be able to fully empathize with their feelings of frustration and uncertainty.

In summary, sympathy involves acknowledging and expressing concern for others who are experiencing difficult situations, even if we have not directly experienced those situations ourselves. It is an important way of showing support and compassion for those around us.

Understanding Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. It is a complex emotional response that allows us to connect with others on a deeper level. In this section, we will explore the origins of empathy and its expression.

Origins of Empathy

Empathy has its roots in the Greek word “empatheia,” which means “passion” or “suffering.” It was first used in the English language in the early 1900s to describe the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Empathy is a natural human response that allows us to connect with others, and it is believed to have evolved as a survival mechanism. By understanding the emotions of others, we can better navigate social situations and form strong relationships.

Expression of Empathy

Empathy can be expressed in many different ways, and it can vary from person to person. Some people are naturally more empathetic than others, while some may struggle to understand the emotions of others. Here are some common ways that empathy is expressed:

• Verbal Communication: Empathy can be expressed through words, such as saying “I understand how you feel” or “I’m sorry you’re going through this.”
• Non-Verbal Communication: Empathy can also be expressed through body language, such as nodding, making eye contact, or giving someone a hug.
• Emotional Contagion: This is when we unconsciously mimic the emotions of others, such as feeling sad when someone else is sad.
• Perspective-Taking: This is the ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and see things from their perspective.

It is important to note that empathy is not the same as sympathy. While empathy is about understanding and sharing the feelings of others, sympathy is about feeling sorry for someone.

In summary, empathy is a natural human response that allows us to connect with others on a deeper level. It has its roots in the Greek word “empatheia,” which means “passion” or “suffering,” and it can be expressed in many different ways. In the next section, we will explore the differences between empathy and sympathy in more detail.

Key Differences Between Sympathy and Empathy

Emotional Response

The main difference between sympathy and empathy lies in the emotional response of the person. Sympathy is a feeling of pity or sorrow for someone else’s misfortune. It is a passive emotion that does not involve much effort on the part of the person feeling it. Empathy, on the other hand, is a more active emotion that involves understanding and sharing the feelings of another person. It requires effort and the ability to put oneself in someone else’s shoes.

Perspective Taking

Another key difference between sympathy and empathy is the level of perspective taking. Sympathy involves acknowledging someone else’s pain or suffering, but it does not require taking on their perspective. Empathy, on the other hand, involves not only acknowledging someone else’s pain but also understanding it from their perspective. This means being able to see the situation through their eyes and understand how it feels to be in their shoes.

Depth of Understanding

The depth of understanding is also a significant difference between sympathy and empathy. Sympathy is a surface-level emotion that does not require a deep understanding of the other person’s feelings. It is possible to feel sympathy for someone without fully understanding their situation or emotions. Empathy, on the other hand, requires a deeper level of understanding of the other person’s emotions and situation. It involves actively listening, asking questions, and trying to understand the other person’s feelings on a deeper level.

To summarize, sympathy is a passive emotion that involves feeling sorry for someone else’s misfortune, while empathy is a more active emotion that involves understanding and sharing the feelings of another person. Empathy requires effort and the ability to take on someone else’s perspective and understand their emotions on a deeper level.

Impacts of Sympathy and Empathy on Communication

When it comes to communication, sympathy and empathy can have very different impacts. Understanding these differences can help you communicate more effectively and build stronger relationships with others.

Sympathy is often seen as a more distant emotion. When we sympathize with someone, we acknowledge their pain or struggle, but we don’t necessarily feel it ourselves. This can make sympathy seem less personal or less genuine.

For example, if a friend tells you that they are going through a tough time at work, you might respond with sympathy by saying something like, “I’m sorry to hear that. That must be really hard.” While this response shows that you care, it doesn’t necessarily convey a deep understanding of your friend’s emotions.

Empathy, on the other hand, is a more intimate emotion. When we empathize with someone, we not only acknowledge their pain or struggle, but we also feel it ourselves. This can make empathy seem more personal and more genuine.

For example, if the same friend tells you that they are going through a tough time at work, you might respond with empathy by saying something like, “Wow, that sounds really tough. I can imagine how frustrated and stressed you must be feeling right now.” This response shows that you not only care, but you also have a deep understanding of your friend’s emotions.

Importance of Sympathy and Empathy in Writing

As a writer, it’s important to understand the differences between sympathy and empathy. Both are important emotions that can be used to connect with readers and convey a message effectively. Here’s why:

Sympathy is the emotion we feel when we share the feelings of another person. It’s important in writing because it allows us to connect with readers on an emotional level. When we sympathize with our readers, we show them that we care about their feelings and understand what they’re going through. This can help build trust and create a deeper connection between the writer and the reader.

For example, if you’re writing an article about the challenges of being a single parent, you might share a personal story about your own experiences. By doing so, you’re showing your readers that you understand their struggles and empathize with their situation. This can help them feel less alone and more understood.

Empathy is the emotion we feel when we understand the feelings of another person but do not necessarily share them. It’s important in writing because it allows us to see things from our readers’ perspective. When we empathize with our readers, we can better understand their needs and tailor our writing to meet those needs.

For example, if you’re writing an article about the benefits of exercise, you might consider the different reasons why people exercise. Some may do it for weight loss, others for stress relief, and still others for social reasons. By empathizing with your readers and understanding their motivations, you can create content that speaks directly to their needs and interests.

Sympathy vs Empathy

To summarize the differences between sympathy and empathy:

In conclusion, both sympathy and empathy are important emotions for writers to understand and use effectively. By using these emotions in our writing, we can create content that connects with readers on a deeper level and meets their needs and interests.

In conclusion, sympathy and empathy are two different but related emotions. Sympathy is feeling sorry for someone else’s situation, while empathy is understanding and sharing their feelings. Both emotions are important in building strong relationships and connecting with others.

It is important to note that empathy requires a deeper level of emotional connection than sympathy. Empathy involves putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and feeling what they feel, while sympathy is more of an acknowledgement of their situation.

To illustrate the differences between sympathy and empathy, consider the following table:

It is also worth noting that while empathy is often considered more desirable than sympathy, both emotions have their place in human interaction. Sympathy can be a valuable way to show support and concern for someone, even if you don’t fully understand their situation.

In summary, understanding the differences between sympathy and empathy can help us better connect with others and build stronger relationships. By acknowledging and expressing both emotions appropriately, we can create a more compassionate and supportive society.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some examples of empathy and sympathy?

Empathy can be seen in situations where someone understands and shares the feelings of another person. For example, if a friend is going through a tough time, and you sit down with them, listen to their worries, and show them that you understand how they feel, that is empathy. Sympathy, on the other hand, is when you feel sorry for someone’s situation, but you don’t necessarily understand how they feel. For instance, if someone loses a loved one, and you offer your condolences, that is sympathy.

How do empathy and sympathy differ in customer service?

In customer service, empathy is about understanding a customer’s problem and showing that you care about finding a solution. It involves putting yourself in the customer’s shoes and seeing the situation from their perspective. Sympathy, on the other hand, is about expressing your condolences or feeling sorry for the customer’s situation. While sympathy can be helpful in some situations, it is not always the best approach in customer service, as it may not address the customer’s needs.

What is the difference between empathy and sympathy in psychology?

In psychology, empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It is seen as a crucial aspect of social interaction and can help build strong relationships. Sympathy, on the other hand, is viewed as a more passive emotion, where one person feels sorry for another person’s situation, but does not necessarily understand how they feel.

Can you explain the differences between empathy and sympathy in a table form?

What is the difference between empathy and sympathy in writing?

In writing, empathy is about creating characters that readers can connect with on an emotional level. It involves showing the character’s thoughts, feelings, and motivations in a way that makes the reader understand and care about them. Sympathy, on the other hand, is about creating a situation that elicits a reader’s emotions, such as pity or sadness.

Can you provide an example of empathy and sympathy in a sentence?

Empathy: “I know how you feel. I’ve been through something similar, and it’s tough.” Sympathy: “I’m sorry for your loss. If you need anything, let me know.”

Empathy can be seen in situations where someone understands and shares the feelings of another person. For example, if a friend is going through a tough time, and you sit down with them, listen to their worries, and show them that you understand how they feel, that is empathy. Sympathy, on the other hand, is when you feel sorry for someone's situation, but you don't necessarily understand how they feel. For instance, if someone loses a loved one, and you offer your condolences, that is sympathy.

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In customer service, empathy is about understanding a customer's problem and showing that you care about finding a solution. It involves putting yourself in the customer's shoes and seeing the situation from their perspective. Sympathy, on the other hand, is about expressing your condolences or feeling sorry for the customer's situation. While sympathy can be helpful in some situations, it is not always the best approach in customer service, as it may not address the customer's needs.

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In psychology, empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It is seen as a crucial aspect of social interaction and can help build strong relationships. Sympathy, on the other hand, is viewed as a more passive emotion, where one person feels sorry for another person's situation, but does not necessarily understand how they feel.

"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can you explain the differences between empathy and sympathy in a table form?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"

"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is the difference between empathy and sympathy in writing?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"

In writing, empathy is about creating characters that readers can connect with on an emotional level. It involves showing the character's thoughts, feelings, and motivations in a way that makes the reader understand and care about them. Sympathy, on the other hand, is about creating a situation that elicits a reader's emotions, such as pity or sadness.

"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can you provide an example of empathy and sympathy in a sentence?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"

Empathy: \"I know how you feel. I've been through something similar, and it's tough.\"\nSympathy: \"I'm sorry for your loss. If you need anything, let me know.\"

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What is the Difference Between Sympathy and Empathy

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Home / Guides / Grammar Guides / Vocabulary Guides / Often Confused Words Guides / Empathy vs Sympathy

Empathy vs Sympathy

Empathy and sympathy are two words that share similar meanings but have very different uses. Empathy is a noun that refers to “one’s ability to understand the feelings of another while not always necessarily sharing them.” Sympathy , on the other hand, is a noun that refers to “the sharing of feelings of sorrow or pity for someone else.” While both have to do with feelings, empathy is more so related to one’s ability to understand the feelings of another, whereas sympathy is sharing feelings with another.

Here are some definitions and example sentences to help you understand the use of each word.

Empathy (noun)

One’s ability to understand the feelings of another while not always necessarily sharing them.

It is always important for those who work in social services to have empathy for those they work with.

Having been through so many tough experiences related to employment, I have developed a sense of empathy for those who are between jobs.

Remember that while empathy refers to the understanding of someone else’s feelings, it does not always mean that those feelings are directly shared.

Sympathy (noun)

The sharing of feelings of sorrow or pity for someone else.

Even if I didn’t know her well, I felt great sympathy for my coworker after her mother passed away.

It is always hard for me to watch dramatic movies, as I always cry out of sympathy for the characters’ suffering.

With sympathy , think of the individual feeling it as experiencing sadness or pity alongside someone else. For example, if you are writing a sympath y card, you are expressing that you are feeling the recipient’s emotions, while maybe not to their same extent, alongside them.

Main Points

• Empathy is a noun that refers to one’s understanding of someone else’s feelings.
• Sympathy is a noun that refers to one’s sharing of someone else’s feelings, usually those of suffering.
• Think of empathy as a feeling that is developed over time, whereas sympathy is something that is felt when specific situations occur.

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Jun 14, 2023

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Sympathy vs. Empathy: Do You Know the Difference? Become More Empathetic

What’s the difference between sympathy and empathy, why does empathy matter, why isn’t sympathy enough, how to be a more empathetic leader, develop a growth mindset around empathy.

Between 2022 and 2023, empathy in the workplace plummeted. According to Businessolver research , there was a 68% drop in individuals who agreed with the statement, “My organization is empathetic.”

This drop in empathy is concerning because over 80% of employees believe mutual empathy between leaders and employees increases efficiency, creativity, innovation, and company revenue, according to 2021 research .

Because business leaders recognize the importance of empathy, many strive to enhance their understanding of their team members’ emotions. However, when they fail to witness any positive changes in the workplace culture, they find themselves questioning what went awry. In many instances, the problem lies in these leaders practicing sympathy rather than empathy.

While sympathy and empathy are related, understanding the differences between these traits is critical for any leader who wants to create a culture of efficiency, creativity, and innovation. 

In this article, learn how to distinguish between empathy and sympathy and how you can develop a more empathetic leadership style.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding the difference between sympathy vs. empathy is crucial for leaders who want to create a positive work environment.  
• The difference between leaders who empathize vs. sympathize is a deeper understanding and willingness to connect beyond a surface level with others. 
• 90% of U.S. workers believe empathetic leadership leads to higher job satisfaction.
• According to Dr. Brené Brown, “Empathy fuels connection. Sympathy drives disconnection.”

Empathy is understanding and feeling what someone else is going through as if you were in their shoes. On the other hand, sympathy is simply an acknowledgment that someone is going through a tough time. You might show support, but you may not fully understand or feel their emotions yourself. Empathy goes beyond surface-level understanding and creates a deeper sense of connection , while sympathy expresses care and compassion without fully immersing oneself in the other person’s emotions.

In 2021, the consulting company EY released research showing 90% of U.S. workers believe empathetic leadership leads to higher job satisfaction. 

EY Vice Chair Steve Payne explains, “Our research finds that empathy is not only a nice-to-have, but the glue and accelerant for business transformation in the next era of business. Empathy’s ability to create a culture of trust and innovation is unmatched, and this previously overlooked trait must be at the forefront of businesses across all industries. ” In other words, empathy is a vital component of a successful work culture.

Here are five reasons that answer the question, “ Why is empathy important ?”:

• Employee engagement and productivity: Empathetic leaders have the ability to understand the needs and concerns of their employees. This increases employee engagement, motivation, and productivity, as employees feel valued and cared for. In fact, 77 percent of workers would consider longer hours if their employer was empathetic , showing that workers are willing to work hard for organizations that support them. 
• Effective communication and collaboration: Empathy enables leaders to listen actively and understand different perspectives, facilitating effective communication and collaboration. By empathizing with their team members, leaders can build strong relationships, encourage open dialogue, and promote a culture of trust and cooperation.
• Conflict resolution and problem-solving: Empathetic leaders are skilled at resolving conflicts and addressing problems. They can understand the underlying emotions and motivations of individuals involved, facilitating constructive dialogue and finding mutually beneficial solutions. 
• Talent attraction and retention: In today’s competitive job market, employees seek organizations with empathetic leaders who genuinely care about their well-being. In fact, 92 percent of team members would be more likely to stay with their company if business leaders empathized with their needs and 82 percent of people would leave their current job for a more empathetic work culture. 

“Empathy fuels connection. Sympathy drives disconnection.” Brené Brown

While sympathetic leaders might give a kind response to someone going through a tough time, if they aren’t able to feel empathy for the person, they aren’t able to experience a connection to the situation. Leading empathy researcher Brené Brown says, “Rarely can a response make something better. What makes something better is connection.”

An empathetic leader shows they’re willing to connect with the person they’re speaking with. Instead of simply expressing support, they provide tangible support. 

Example of Sympathetic vs. Empathetic Leadership

Imagine an employee has a sick child at home. The employee mentions to their boss that they have been unable to get much sleep for the past few days because their child has needed care throughout the night.

A sympathetic leader might respond: “Having sick kids sounds tough. I’m sorry you’re experiencing that. But at least you don’t have to prepare a presentation for an important client this week! I’ve been working myself to the bone trying to get this presentation done this week, so I’ve also barely been sleeping.”

Although the sympathetic leader shows some concern and is able to relate to the feeling of exhaustion that comes from missing sleep, they minimize the employee’s experience by making their own experience sound worse and by using the phrase “at least.” According to Brené Brown, an empathetic statement never includes the phrase “at least” because doing so dismisses the individual’s difficulty with the situation. 

An empathetic leader might respond: “I know how difficult it is to meet deadlines while running on very little sleep. I’ve felt that exhaustion at times too. How can I support you with your current projects so you don’t burn out while trying to complete your work?”

The empathetic leader shows that they really understand what the employee is going through and reaches out to connect and support their team member. 

Moving beyond sympathy to develop empathy as a leader requires practice. Here’s a list of strategies that will help you improve your capacity for empathy:

1. Cultivate Curiosity

Develop a genuine curiosity about people’s experiences, beliefs, and backgrounds. Your curiosity can lead you to a greater understanding of a wide range or experiences, even experiences that are very different from your own. 

According to writer and researcher Jeffrey Davis , When you approach interactions with curiosity and a desire to understand people on a human-to-human level, you’ll naturally begin to engage more deeply . . . this form of curiosity helps you become more interested in what another person has to say, even if you don’t share the same values or opinions.

Here are some strategies for cultivating greater curiosity about others:

• Keep an open mind: Embrace a mindset of openness and non-judgment when interacting with others. Let go of assumptions and preconceived notions, and be willing to learn and discover new perspectives.
• Step out of your comfort zone: Challenge yourself to engage with people with different interests, beliefs, or backgrounds. Participate in activities or events that expose you to new experiences and perspectives. Stepping outside of your comfort zone fosters curiosity and personal growth.
• Be a lifelong learner: Adopt a mindset of continuous learning and growth. Approach each interaction as an opportunity to learn something new and broaden your understanding of the world and the people around you.
• Embrace the unknown: Embrace the uncertainty and the unknown when exploring others’ stories and experiences. Curiosity thrives in discovering the unfamiliar and embracing the richness of human diversity.

2. Seek Diverse Perspectives

Dr. Raymond Mar , a professor of psychology at York University in Toronto, studies how reading fiction and other kinds of character-driven stories can help people better understand others and the world. “To understand stories, we have to understand characters, their motivations, interactions, reactions, and goals,” he says . Mar continues, “It’s possible that while understanding stories, we can improve our ability to understand real people in the real world at the same time.”

To do this, start exposing yourself to different cultures, viewpoints, and experiences. Read books, watch documentaries, or speak with people from diverse backgrounds to broaden your understanding and empathetic outlook. 

Here’s a list of well-regarded resources that can broaden your perspective: 

• The Moth : This podcast features real people sharing their personal stories, often highlighting diverse experiences and perspectives.
• Hidden Brain : In this podcast, the hosts explore the unconscious patterns that shape our thoughts, behaviors, and interactions, often touching on topics of diversity and social psychology.
• He Named Me Malala : This documentary tells the inspiring story of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist advocating for girls’ education and human rights.
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking : Written by Susan Cain, this book explores introversion and challenges societal norms around extroversion, shedding light on diverse personality traits.
• Educated : In this memoir, Tara Westover describes her journey from a strict and isolated upbringing to pursuing education and finding her voice.

3. Avoid Judgment

Researchers from Princeton University studied how quickly our brains form opinions of others. They found we make snap judgments within a tenth of a second. Unfortunately, when we judge others without understanding the full context behind their situation, we create barriers to connection and limit our ability to understand the person. 

Psychology professor Sara Hodges explains, “As scientists, we ­second-guess our assumptions all the time, looking for alternative explanations. We need to do that as people, too.”

By second-guessing our assumptions and remaining open-minded, we allow people to feel understood on a deeper level. 

Try these strategies to build a habit of open-mindedness:

• Increase self-awareness: Pay attention to your own judgments and biases. Recognize when you are making assumptions without knowing the full context. 
• Challenge your beliefs: Question the beliefs and assumptions that underlie your judgments. Reflect on where these judgments come from and whether they are based on accurate information or stereotypes. Consider alternative perspectives and challenge your own biases.
• Delay judgment: Catch yourself when you feel the impulse to judge. Pause and remind yourself that you may not have the full picture or understanding of someone’s situation. Refrain from making snap judgments and instead seek more information and context.
• Seek common ground: Look for shared experiences or values. Finding common ground can foster understanding and connection, reducing the tendency to judge based on differences.
• Practice mindfulness: Cultivate mindfulness in your daily life. By being present and aware of your thoughts and emotions, you can catch judgmental tendencies and choose to respond with more openness and compassion.

4. Be an Active Listener

Active listening involves fully engaging with the speaker, both verbally and non-verbally, to understand their message. Active listeners don’t simply hear the words being said. They are present, attentive, and responsive to the speaker’s thoughts, feelings, and perspectives.

The more you practice active listening, the more empathy can grow. This is because active listening reduces misunderstandings, allows you to gather more information, and helps you gain a deeper understanding of the speaker’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

To be a more active listener, try this:

• Maintain eye contact: Maintain consistent eye contact with the person without staring excessively. This shows you are not distracted. 
• Eliminate distractions: Don’t glance at your cell phone, remove your headphones, and avoid multitasking while listening to someone.
• Avoid interrupting: Let the other person finish what they’re saying before you begin speaking.
• Provide verbal and nonverbal feedback: Nodding, smiling, and using encouraging verbal cues like “I see” or “Go on” can signal that you are actively listening and encourage the speaker to continue. 
• Ask clarifying questions: If something is unclear, ask open-ended questions to seek clarification. 

5. Practice Perspective-Taking

You may not always have direct personal experience that relates to the experiences of those around you. But you can practice perspective-taking, or putting yourself in other people’s shoes, to empathize with others. 

Psychology professor John Dovidio points out that how you take someone else’s perspective makes a difference. “When you ask me to imagine myself in another person’s position,” he says , “I may experience a lot of personal distress, which can interfere with prosocial behaviors.”

The most beneficial type of perspective-taking is other-oriented. Associate professor of psychology Sara Konrath explains that other-oriented perspective-taking is “a cognitive style of perspective-taking where someone imagines another person’s perspective, reads their emotions, and can understand them in general.”

Here are some ways to improve your ability to practice other-oriented perspective-taking:

• Active imagination: Use your imagination to visualize the situation from the other person’s perspective. Try to see the world through their eyes and imagine their emotions, thoughts, and challenges in that scenario.
• Listen and ask questions: Engage in open and non-judgmental conversations with others. Listen attentively to their stories, experiences, and perspectives. Ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of their thoughts and feelings.
• Seek feedback: Seek feedback from trusted individuals about how well you empathize or understand others’ perspectives. They can provide insights and help you identify areas for improvement.
• Volunteer or participate in community work: Get involved in activities or organizations that allow you to interact with diverse groups of people. This hands-on experience provides opportunities to interact with people you wouldn’t usually meet. 

To remain empathetic over the long term, you’ll need to continue to push yourself and learn about empathy-building strategies. Psychology researcher at Harvard University Erika Weisz explains that it’s important to maintain a growth mindset if you want to continue building your capacity for empathy. 

Weisz says , “People who believe that empathy can grow, try harder to empathize when it doesn’t come naturally to them, for instance, by empathizing with people who are unfamiliar to them or different than they are, compared to people who believe empathy is a stable trait.”

When you have a growth mindset surrounding empathy, you’ll be able to continuously improve your ability to connect to your employees and colleagues and avoid stagnation in your workplace culture. 

Here are five books to add to your reading list that will help you build your capacity for empathy:

• Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
• Born for Love: Why Empathy Is Essential and Endangered by Bruce D. Perry and Maia Szalavitz
• The Empathy Effect: Seven Neuroscience-Based Keys for Transforming the Way We Live, Love, Work, and Connect Across Differences by Helen Reiss
• The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World by Jamil Zaki
• Leading with Empathy: Understanding the Needs of Today’s Workforce by Gautham Pallapa

To learn more about mental health and self-improvement, check out these articles:

How to Manage a Type D (Distressed) Personality to Thrive at Work and in Life  

Increasing Your Interpersonal Skills Can Further Your Career  

Leaders Media has established sourcing guidelines and relies on relevant, and credible sources for the data, facts, and expert insights and analysis we reference. You can learn more about our mission, ethics, and how we cite sources in our editorial policy .

• State of Workplace Empathy. (2023). Retrieved 26 May 2023, from https://www.businessolver.com/workplace-empathy/
• McWilliams, L. New EY Consulting survey confirms 90% of US workers believe empathetic leadership leads to higher job satisfaction and 79% agree it decreases employee turnover. (2021). Retrieved 26 May 2023, from https://www.ey.com/en_us/news/2021/09/ey-empathy-in-business-survey  
• 2017 BUSINESSOLVER WORKPLACE EMPATHY MONITOR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. (2017). Retrieved 26 May 2023, from https://info.businessolver.com/hubfs/businessolver-workplace-empathy-monitor-2017.pdf
• RSA. Brene Brown on Empathy. (2014). Retrieved 26 May 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw&t=1s  
• Davis, J. Empathic Curiosity: Where’s Your Attention?. (2023). Retrieved 26 May 2023, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tracking-wonder/202303/empathic-curiosity-wheres-your-attention  
• Steinhardt, SJ. Leading with Empathy Can Be a Critical Workplace Strategy . (2022). Retrieved 26 May 2023, from https://www.nysscpa.org/article-content/leading-with-empathy-can-be-a-critical-workplace-strategy-122022#sthash.H8BCf5sO.WLQ0VoPQ.dpbs  
• Boutin, C. Snap judgments decide a face’s character, psychologist finds. (2006). Retrieved 26 May 2023, from https://www.princeton.edu/news/2006/08/22/snap-judgments-decide-faces-character-psychologist-finds  
• Abramson, A. Cultivating empathy. (2021). Retrieved 26 May 2023, from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/11/feature-cultivating-empathy  

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