Sometimes, people confuse the terms, empathy and sympathy.  They are not the same in some very significant ways. The easiest way to differentiate these words is to remember that sympathy means to feel for someone, while empathy means to feel with someone.  The difference is very important to realize and understand, because one can feel like pity, while the other is more like creating solidarity with a person.

A person can sympathize with someone and walk away, never having shared the burden in any way.  This is not terrible, it is just a different emotion. Empathy however, is “being there” with the person as they experience their grief, or sadness or worry just to listen, or sit silently in that space they are in. Both are showing kindness, but empathy is a profound presence.

I am always talking and writing and reading about the need for more empathy in this world.  I truly believe that many of our differences could be understood, or at least tolerated better, if people would be willing to take turns talking and listening.  If the goal were just to be willing to try, that would be a start. It would be a learning experience for everyone.

One thing each of us can do, is to be there for our loved ones and learn to grow empathy in ourselves.  One on one, person to person, understanding others can enlarge our individual experiences. Then, taking small steps that put us outside of our comfort zone can become easier.  Little by little, things can change. But big change requires many small steps to convert wariness into courage. It takes courage to care on a deep level. 

If one has trouble with empathy, sympathy might be a beginning path for one who wishes to learn how to empathize.  That would be a wonderful way to begin the journey. The more we grow in caring for our fellow human beings, the kinder our world becomes.  These are the things that matter in the end.   Empathy and sympathy are not the same, but both are necessary to make our world a more compassionate place to live.