I often feel as if we live in a world that does not know the distinct differences between empathy and sympathy. People can often sympathize for others but rarely take the plunge of truly empathizing for another person. Sometimes we don't even show any compassion for one another because we have "problems of our own". The dictionary definitions of sympathy and empathy are visually so compellingly different.
Sympathy - feelings of pity or sorrow for someone else's misfortune.
Empathy - the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
Researcher and "storyteller" Brené Brown states that the four qualities of empathy are perspective taking, staying out of judgment, recognizing emotion in other people, and then communicating that. The most challenging aspect of empathy, for most of us, is probably to stay or withstand from judgment. We often assume we know what's best for other people, and judge others on their decision making skills thinking we could of come up with a better solution for the situation that they themselves are in.
People need to understand that even though they may not be able to directly relate to what someone is going through, we can still empathize instead of sympathize. Phrases like, "I'm glad you told me you're going through this", "I'll always be here for you", and "You are not alone in what you are going through" displays empathy to that person.
Often times, sympathy is easier to provide than empathy because empathy requires a state of vulnerability that people prefer not to enter. When choosing sympathy, one doesn't even have to dive into their own emotions, they simply have to listen to someone else's struggles or hardships.
If people prioritize the importance of empathy, their relationships would improve tremendously. As Brené Brown stated, "empathy fuels connection while sympathy drives disconnection". Empathy can be characterized by thoughtfulness and love. While sympathy leaves a disconnection between the two people.
This world needs more people that actually know the difference between empathy and sympathy, and also needs people that will go the extra mile to show empathy to others over sympathy.
