Empathy & Sympathy are NOT the SAME

EMPATHY & SYMPATHY ARE NOT THE SAME

Empathy is our ability to understand how someone feels while sympathy is our relief in not having the same problems. When we relate with empathy, we give the other person space to own their emotions and feelings. We reflect on what they are feeling and provide a safe space for all emotions, even negative ones. When we relate with sympathy we simply experience a feeling of relief.

Based on those definitions so many additional words relating to this subject now need defining, I’ll do it all from my perspective this time. In addition to empathy and sympathy let’s include definitions for feelings, emotions, understanding, and relief.

Feelings – an emotional state or reaction.
Emotions – conscious mental reactions (such as anger or fear)
Understanding – is being aware of other people’s feelings.
Relief – is a personal feeling of reassurance and relaxation

Now I’ d like to add to all of those definitions the words, compassion, pity and sorrow:

Compassion – showing how you feel by providing care and comfort for others who are suffering.
Pity – feeling sorrow for the suffering and misfortunes of others
Sorrow – a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment or other misfortune suffered.

IN SUMMATION
Empathy is understanding how someone feels and sharing with them in what they’re going through. Sympathy is simply feeling “sadness” for someone because of what they’re going through but deep down it’s feeling “relief” that you’re not the one going through it. Pity is simply sadness multiplied a level to sorrow. Sorrow is being deeply distressed.

I don’t know about you but as an individual who is handicapped (In a wheelchair/. Literally Living Life on Wheels I appreciate and am thankful for any empathy that is shown to me, and I understand the sympathy others feel when seeing me what I am not so good with is pity. There’s no need to pity me because of my inability to walk. To be sad for me is understandable. No-one wants to be confined to a wheelchair (it’s not fun) but expressing deep distress doesn’t help. If anything it makes me (the person in the wheelchair) feel worse. Don’t be distressed for me. I’m fine. I’m handling it.
A compassionate, kindhearted, caring individual is what matters most. All to often pity comes off as condescension and it is belittling. “Oh the poor thing in the wheelchair”. I’m not less of a person because I’m in a wheelchair. I’m sure those who are also Living Life On Wheels can relate to my frustration.