What’s the Difference Between Empathy and Sympathy?

We often hear the phrase, “A problem shared is half solved.” But to share a problem, humans need a listening ear – someone who can put themselves in their shoes and understand their situation and feelings. The listener’s ability to connect with the speaker from an emotional perspective is often referred to as empathy or sympathy. People often use the two words interchangeably, but there’s a difference between empathy vs. sympathy. Those differences play a crucial role in our interpersonal relationships and how we learn from each other.  

In this article, we’ll define empathy and sympathy, discuss their differences, and the role each plays in learning.  

Empathy vs. Sympathy: Etymology and Definitions 

The etymology of the word empathy goes back to 1858 when the German philosopher Rudolf Lotze coined the German term “Einfuhlung,” which combines ein “in” + Fuhlung “feeling.” However, it’s believed the word was derived from the Greek term “empatheia,” meaning “state of emotion.” However, in modern literature, the word empathy appeared in 1909 when British psychologist Edward B. Titchener coined it.   

Although empathy is used to describe wide-ranging experiences, emotion experts typically define empathy as the ability to connect to other people’s feelings combined with the ability to vicariously experience the other person’s feelings, experiences, or thoughts without having the feelings communicated objectively and explicitly.  

On the other hand, sympathy was first heard of in the 16th century as a translation of the French term “sympathy.”  It’s derived from the Late Latin sympathia “community of feeling,” from Greek Sympatheia, meaning “fellow-feeling or community of feeling. 

However, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, sympathy is an affinity to, relationship, or association between two people or things, such as the experiences or feelings that affect one also affect the other.   

The Difference between Empathy and Sympathy 

From the two definitions above, it’s clear that the sympathy and empathy meaning are different, although their definitions overlap.  

On one side, empathy has to do a lot with understanding – trying to feel or imagine what another individual is going through without experiencing the same feeling. Empathy is a newer term related to “pathos,” but it is different due to the emotional distance. But sympathy is a combination of “sym,” meaning “together” or “at the same time,” and “pathos,” meaning “emotion, feeling, or passion.”  

When we relate with empathy, we give the other individual a chance to own their emotions and feelings. We then try to imagine and reflect on their feelings while providing a shoulder to lean on and a chance to let out their emotions, even the negative ones. However, when we relate with sympathy, we switch to problem-solving mode. We already have our ideas and judgments about the other person’s feelings and emotions and what they (or you) should do. It minimizes the individual’s problems, but it ignores their emotions.  

Another difference between empathy and sympathy is that empathy is an appropriate feeling or emotion at any given time. It nurtures relationships, bringing you closer to others regardless of the circumstances. People express sympathy during tough times or when one is needed, but empathy is an ability we can use at any time.  

The Four Parts of Empathy that Are Important in Learning 

Empathy is crucial in building relationships on a personal level, professionally, and even in the traditional classroom. Creating a more supportive learning environment is especially critical in an academic setting.  

Everyone comes from different backgrounds with different beliefs. With empathy, everyone will feel understood in a classroom full of many individuals with many differences. Emotion scientists identified four characteristics of empathy. By building empathy in a school community, instructors can demonstrate to learners that they understand what they (students) are going through rather than focusing on solving a problem.  

These four attributes include: 

Perspective Taking 

When you take a different perspective on a matter, try to put your reactions and feelings aside to better understand the student from their point of view. Instead of judging their efforts based on various metrics, ask yourself: Do I believe my students are doing the best they can? By empathizing, you open opportunities for new perspectives and improve your judgment.  

Being Non-Judgmental 

It’s often easy to jump to conclusions or express judgments about a student’s situation based on what we see and know. It’s always a good practice to pause and ask yourself: “What more do I need to do to better understand the situation?” Having answers to that question can help you create a comfort zone where students feel safe to express themselves and freely ask questions without fear of being judged.  

Understand the Students’ Feelings 

Like workplaces, schools are widely inclusive and diverse, with people from wide-ranging backgrounds interacting in one place. Part of teachers’ roles in the 21st century is to make the students feel a sense of belonging and being heard to try and understand their personal situations.  

If possible, instructors should leverage their own experiences or remember a time when they felt the same in an attempt to understand their students’ feelings. However, it’s crucial to be careful not to overdo it. Remember, each person’s experiences are their own. Instead of telling a student, “I know how you feel,” ask yourself: “What do I need to learn in order to understand how the student is reacting or perceiving a certain situation?” 

Communicate that You Understand 

Educators have much experience, knowledge, and wisdom to pass on to their students. In their compulsion to help solve a problem, they can easily fall into the “fix it” trap, which is the compulsive urge to want to fix problems. Instead of simply showing students the solution or telling them what to do, listening and rephrasing their problem in your own words to understand their perspectives and ideas would be best. Phrases like “what you need to do is…” are fixing-oriented; a better approach is to say, “I hear/understand that you…” 

A “fix it” trap only solves the problem in the short term. It also doesn’t foster long-term trust, so the student won’t see the need to solve problems with your guidance. On the contrary, they will eventually try solving problems on their own. This critical step requires some self-reflection: what more do I need to react better to the present/current situation? What more do I need to understand the right way to communicate to others that I understand their perspective, even though I may be experiencing different emotions? 

Examples of Empathy and Sympathy 

To better understand the difference between empathy and sympathy, let’s consider the following examples: 

Example 1: Suppose your friend has lost someone close to them, and they turn to you for solace. In that case, you can empathize with them by imagining how the situation feels like for them, even though you haven’t experienced loss before. Since you can’t solve their problem (bring back their loved one), the best you can do is to put yourself in their shoes and understand their pain to support them. That’s empathy.  

Example 2: When you sympathize with someone, you can relate to or have experienced the same circumstance. If you have experienced the grief of losing a loved one, you can sympathize with a friend currently undergoing the same situation. And because you already know how it feels, you ought to provide a solution or avenues for them to alleviate the pain.  

In conclusion, empathy and sympathy are two closely related but distinct concepts. The former involves understanding and sharing someone else’s feelings and perspectives, while sympathy involves feeling sorry or pity for someone’s situation because you’ve experienced a similar predicament. In a classroom situation, empathy is crucial for developing strong interpersonal relationships, promoting collaboration and understanding, and supporting others. While sympathy is important for expressing care and concern, it shouldn’t be confused with empathy as it doesn’t necessarily involve connecting with others on a deeper level. Developing empathy skills can enhance learning outcomes and improve social interactions. 

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