Empathy v.s Sympathy

  Yesterday, while browsing the internet, I found an fascinating animation video talking about the difference between empathy and sympathy. When I saw the title at the first time, I attempted to differentiate empathy and sympathy on my own; however, I was disappointed at the failure about this question. Therefore,  I was curious about how the video would explain the difference and clicked on the video.

  The video first used an example that one of your friends, let's say Sarah, falling into a deep hole and screaming for help. From the point of empathy, one would climb down the hole and try to feel what Sarah feels, hugging her and connecting with her. As from the point of sympathy, one would stay on the ground looking down to the hole and say "It's bad down there, right. Now..., do you want a sandwich?". This reveals the critical difference between empathy and sympathy: empathetic people would walk in others' shoes, while sympathetic people would stay out the feeling of others and attempt to comfort them with words. At last, the video also proposes that the sentences that sympathetic people use to comfort others always begin with "At least" and that what Sarah wants is not the encouraging words but the feeling of connection. Hence, next time your friends confront some tragedy or in a bad mood, try to talk to them like this: "I don't even know what to say. I just glad you told me." It would be better if you end with a warm hug!!