TABLE OF CONTENT
- Empathy
- Empathy definition
- Empathy vs Sympathy
- Empathy quotes
- Empathy examples
- Empathy Makes Us More Humane
Although most of the time we use the words empathy and sympathy as synonyms, there is a far difference between the two in terms of humanity or psychology. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others from the heart, to be responsive and aware of another person or his condition.
Empathy is an emotional feeling that concerns of others without objectively expressing
thoughts and experiences. Empathy always shake us from the depths of our hearts. Naturally we can explain empathy as another form of humanity. Empathetic people are usually more humane. Empathy is a humanitarian religion that does not judge person, time and place, but only focuses on solving the
problems of others.
Empathy vs Sympathy:
Empathy is a sincere feeling, whereas sympathy may or may not contain sincerity. Mainly sympathy is a feeling of pride or ego, sympathy can be shown to someone but empathy comes only from the deep feeling of heart.
Our empathy is the extent to which we can offer sympathy, understanding and support to others.That is, through empathy, as our compassion for others is expressed, so is the desire to do something for them. Sympathy, on the other hand, involves sympathizing with a person or his situation, though much less cooperation and understanding.
I have already said that the words sympathy and empathy are often mistakenly used interchangeably, although the difference between the two words in terms of
emotional impact is quite important. Sympathy is the ability to recognize and share the emotions of another person and is limited to understanding the feelings and giving them great comfort or advice to get out of them, it means “stepping into someone else’s shoes.”
“Empathy” from a humanitarian perspective recognizes the ability to identify with the suffering of another person and to share their emotions and feelings with the painful plight. Empathy is not limited to comforting or commiserating, it is a deep feeling of compassion that actually comes from the heart. It is the deep expression of our
mind. It is a genuine intention to help a person in jeopardy.
The difference between sympathy and empathy can be better understood through an example. For example, suppose two people are traveling on the road and were witness a road accident. They saw a person crying in pain on the road as he was fallen in an accident. One of the two passers-by saw the matter and said what a dangerous accident occurred on the person is suffering, he will survive! If someone informs to his house or to the police, if he can be taken and admitted to the hospital, he can be saved!” etc. etc. In this case, the person is sympathetic, and that is sympathy.
On the other hand, the second person immediately extended his helping hand without thinking back and forth. He took the accident-victim to the hospital on his own initiative and took care of him, that is empathy.
An empathetic person thinks of standing by the side of others in danger by forgetting everything about self. “Empathy” is not just a feeling of sympathy for the person in danger but a strong emotional desire to contribute something to help him.
Empathy Makes Us More Humane:
Just as the saying ‘”empathy makes us more humane” is literally true, its reverse, “humanity makes us more compassionate” is also true. Empathy is a very important human emotion. The words
love, mercy, compassion, pity, affection etc. are important in this world today because there are empathetic people. They cannot be saved by mere sympathy unless there is empathy.
Since compassion makes people more humane, many people are working selflessly to protect animals, plants, and the environment. Feelings of empathy Makes humane that’s why someone take risk his own
life to rescue a stranger swept away by floodwaters, when there is a fire in the deep forest, people risk their lives to save the lives of animals.
Take a look at the recent memories of the
covid-19 epidemic, how many people had the mentality to do anything special except to express sympathy when a family member or
relative was reported to be covid positive in most cases! Again, many such people were found in those times who risked their lives to stand by the patients and their
families. This is the bond of empathy and humanity.
