‘Sympathy’ or ‘Empathy’ — Which do I use?
These words both originate from the same Latin word ‘pathos’, but they have different meanings. Let’s understand how they differ.
‘Sympathy’ or ‘Empathy’ — Which do I use?
These words both originate from the same Latin word ‘pathos’, but they have different meanings. Let’s understand how they differ.
SYMPATHY:
‘Sympathy’ is a noun which indicates that you understand a person’s bad situation and feel pity or compassion for them.
Simon has no sympathy for beggars.
The president expressed his sympathy for the victims of the tragedy.
This word can also be used to express a common feeling of support or agreement between people.
Students from neighboring colleges came out in sympathy during the protests against the revised fees structure.
EMPATHY:
‘Empathy’ is a noun that indicates your ability to share the feelings of a person, because you know or can imagine what it is like to be in their position. This word can be used in positive and negative situations.
Having a toddler of my own, I felt empathy for the mother whose child was screaming for ice cream.
The novel wasn’t successful because the readers couldn’t feel empathy towards the characters.
The video below summarizes the differences between these words.
[embed]Sympathy vs. Empathy
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