The word of the day for 4 November is: Empathy.
Empathy and sympathy are two commonly confused words, but even though they are related, their meanings are different.
‘Sympathy’ refers to a feeling of sorrow, pity, or compassion for another person. You show concern and sadness but are unable to put yourself in their shoes because you have not experienced what is hurting them (like the loss of a loved one).
‘Empathy’ is more powerful than sympathy – it refers to emotionally connecting with someone and putting yourself in their shoes because you have experienced the same pain they are feeling. With empathy, you identify with the person and feel more deeply than with sympathy.
The website yourdictionary.com described the difference as: “Someone lacking empathy may not be able to understand why another person is upset over a situation if they cannot imagine themselves in that person’s place. Someone has empathy if they can put themselves in the same situation and perceive how the other person is feeling, even if they do not share those feelings.”
Morgan Harper Nichols described empathy like this:
“Let me hold the door for you,
I may have never walked a mile in your shoes,
But I can see your soles are worn,
And your strength is torn,
Under the weight of a story,
I have never lived before.
So let me hold the door for you,
After all you’ve walked through,
It’s the least I can do.”
