# Sympathy vs Empathy **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 3, 2001, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-vs-empathy/71130 "2001-07-03T21:25:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2001, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-vs-empathy/71130/1 "2001-07-03T21:25:32Z")
OK, can someone give me a clear, concise explaination of the difference between these two words? I think I’ve got them backwards. ANd please, before you tell me to get a dictionary, I already have. It’s just that different dictionaries don’t really seem to be consistant in definitions. Everywhere I find differences, (like here [http://www.bss-gn.com/nl/may2001/art002.htm](http://www.bss-gn.com/nl/may2001/art002.htm) , and the listings at [http://www.m-w.com](http://www.m-w.com)) seem to be muddy, if not conflicting. Depending on what I learn, this might lead me to another question about “sympathy cards”. ---
**Author:** ![monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2001, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-vs-empathy/71130/2 "2001-07-03T21:50:29Z")
I always thought that “sympathy” meant you feel bad for someone although you had never experienced the same loss. “Empathy” was being able to “sympathize” because you have had a similar experience. I’m not 100% sure that is correct, but is that clear? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2001, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-vs-empathy/71130/3 "2001-07-03T21:50:32Z")
Based on my interpretation of the dictionary definitions, the difference (in my humble opinion) is this: **Sympathy** is understanding the feelings or interests of another. **Empathy** is _vicariously experiencing_ those feelings, or at least appearing to. Perhaps another way to look at it is that sympathy is more objective; I don’t know exactly how you feel, but I’m sure it’s not good and I’ll moderate my behaviour accordingly. Empathy is more subjective; I’m feeling (or believing I feel) some or all of the same feelings based on my relationship to you. Anyway, just my personal interpretation. ---
**Author:** ![monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2001, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-vs-empathy/71130/4 "2001-07-03T21:53:04Z")
Oops, I forgot to give my example: I can sympathize with you for the death of your parent, because both of mine are still alive. However, I can empathize that you haven’t won Publishers Clearing House yet, because neither have I. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2001, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-vs-empathy/71130/5 "2001-07-03T21:54:42Z")
I always assumed the same thing that both of you ( **monster, mattk** ) are saying. However, goto [http://www.m-w.com](http://www.m-w.com) and look them both up. It seems to be the reverse (although not entirely clear). ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2001, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-vs-empathy/71130/6 "2001-07-03T21:59:16Z")
Hmm. Merriam-Webster says this of **empathy** : > [@](#): > > … the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner … … and this of **sympathy** : > [@](#): > > … the act or capacity of entering into or sharing the feelings or interests of another … Again, this is only my interpretation, but that to me suggests that M-W are claiming that \*sympathy[/n] is the capacity for feeling others’ pain, but that _empathy_ is the action of feeling that pain _without that feeling having been explicitly communicated_. A particularly bad analogy (the only kind I know) might be the difference between labour pains and sympathy pains; on the one hand, I can sympathise because I know pain is bad, but on the other, I may think I actually feel that pain. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-vs-empathy/71130/7 "2001-07-03T22:00:44Z")
And I’m sure you all empathise with my preview-dammit-preview pain. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2001, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-vs-empathy/71130/8 "2001-07-03T22:05:36Z")
It’s specifically the portion of the “empathy” definition that reads “without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner” that murks the waters for me. I guess that makes sense, and I was correct to begin with. I don’t understand why the definition has to be so roundabout in saying “because you’ve been through the same thing” by way of the given definition.