Sympathy
vs. Empathy
What is
the difference between empathy and sympathy?
Both empathy and sympathy are feelings concerning other people. Sympathy
is literally 'feeling with' - compassion for or commiseration with
another person. Empathy, by contrast, is literally 'feeling into' - the ability
to project one's personality into another person and more fully understand that
person. You feel empathy when you've "been there", and sympathy when
you haven't. http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/d23.html
Sympathy is
defined as “the feeling that you care about and are sorry about someone else's
trouble, grief, misfortune, etc.; sorrow or pity for another <She felt
sympathy for the poor lost puppy.> http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sympathy
Empathy is “the
feeling that you understand and share another person's experiences and emotions.”
Empathy denotes a deep emotional
understanding of another's feelings or problems, while Sympathy is more general and can apply to small annoyances or
setbacks. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/empathy
I have always considered myself a “sympathetic” person. Now I
realize that my life lacked “empathy.”
My realization between the two was dealing with death.
Before I
experienced it, I would feel sympathy
and tell others, “I am so sorry for your loss.” This was expressed from
imagining what I might feel like having to deal with this…but never have.
After
experiencing it, I now feel empathy
and express sincere sorry…having gone through the experience and truly
understanding what it feels like.
With my current health challenges and new limited mobility, I am
forced to spend a lot of time alone…often in silence. I now understand the
feelings of loneliness and insignificance people often feel.
This inspires me
to send cards, notes or make phone calls to others…especially those in nursing
homes, assisted living facilities or those who are home-bound. They need to
know that their existence is recognized and it does matter by at least SOMEBODY
on this planet. Although we each matter to God, He may be using you to express
this to others. They key is to allow Him to use you to do this.
Thus, there is a need for both.
The Bible Says:
Ephesians
4:32 (NKJV): And be
kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in
Christ forgave you.
Romans
12:15 (NKJV): Rejoice
with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Matthew
7:12 (NKJV): Therefore,
whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and
the Prophets.
Galatians
6:2 (NKJV): Bear one
another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
1
Corinthians 12:26 (NKJV): And if
one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is
honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Mark
12:31(NKJV): And the
second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is
no other commandment greater than these.”
Memorable
Quotes
"Empathy is... seeing with the eyes of another, listening with
the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another."
"Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are
as outraged as those who are." ~ Benjamin Franklin
“Sitting silently beside a friend who is hurting may be the best
gift you can give.” – unknown
“The greatest cruelty is our
casual blindness to the despair of others.”
“It’s hard to forget someone who gave you so much to remember.”
The most profound explanation of sympathy and empathy is:
THE
ESSENCE OF COMPASSION
"Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the
aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and
wrong…because sometime in your life you will have been all of these."
