Empathy vs Sympathy: What’s the Difference?

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

By Helly Douglas

Empathy and Sympathy 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?

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…