Hi Readers,
Many are anticipating me on writing empathy today after i wrote about sympathy yesterday(17th March). So how many of us really understand the meaning of empathy? We mix empathy and sympathy together most of the time. Like my previous post, sympathy is understanding a person plight and concerning for that person. However empathy is much different. That is why i will be writing about “Empathy” today.
Empathy is not just feeling sorry for a person, it’s an emotional process where you will be able to understand and at the same time feel for the person’s plight. It’s because we might have experienced this problem that also enable us to put ourselves into their shoes, that is why we are able to show empathy instead of just concerning, we can also give them advice or try to cheer them up by other means.
Try thinking about this, you have never felt a certain feeling, it will obviously be hard for you to understand how another person is thinking or feeling. Reading about a feeling and intellectually knowing about it is very different than actually experiencing it yourself. That is why empathy co-existed only if we have actual experience of it ourselves. Empathy is not just about understand too, we can use it in many different way. We are able to perceive into other people’s feeling and thoughts through empathy, thus making them open up towards us.
Empathy requires a people who had experienced a loss in the same situation, however being able to experience it doesn’t allow a person to have empathy on others. People need to open up rather then bottling up or hiding their emotions. It’s a gift to share the feeling that we went through with other people , it does make us feel better and also make us face reality at the same time.
That’s not all of empathy, empathy is not inborn in us but we can imagine and visualize things to turn sympathy into empathy. That is why many are able to understand feeling of others.
“Anyone who has experienced a certain amount of loss in their life has empathy for those who have experienced loss.” Quoted by Anderson Cooper
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Love, Shawn
i worked in a call center before, for customer service. And knowing how to empathize is really important in that job. We need to put ourselves in the same shoes of our customers whether customers are happy or sad, or if the call is from an irate customer. Being able to empathize is better than knowing how to sympathize. Thanks for reminding me this.
Cindy: wow! that’s great! that’s right
i hope you know what my article meant.
i remember one love story from my teacher back in high school . it goes like this, a guy sent her a letter, with both of their names written on it with the word “empathy” in between. she told us that empathy is feeling the same way that another person does. that’s why i was asking you yesterday what is empathy .
and i think the definition that i know is right .
thanks for posting this shawn .
You are quite right. Empathy is a bit different then sympathy because you have been in their shoes so to speak. You understand their situation because you have been through a similar plight. Though it isn’t the same, similarities allow you to share your experiences, but only if like you said they open up. If one never opens up, one can never realize how each and every life is similar to one another.
Kit: That is really good kit. Yup your definition of empathy is correct! it is not wrong.
Ming: haha! i waited for you to comment on this! wow! so short this time round. Thank you!
You said all that needed to be said
Ming: i think so too! haha
i was waiting for ds article to come out. haha
being empathic is also like being sensitive and aware to what the people around u feels. u put urself n der shoes then ul understand them better .
it can sometimes result to a greater mutual understanding , good relationships and a desire to help people.
and i personally believe that apathy is exact opposite of empathy . :
cool , nice article . whew
Cez: Haha! thank you! wow! nice explanation! good one. ANd correct! apathy is opposite of empathy.
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well yes it is true that you will never really know the feelings of the one who’s suffering unless you’ve been through the same phrase of feelings before. But we have to understand that while the feelings are the same, it is the decisions we make with our feelings that sets us all apart from one another.
Empathy is a way, a feeling to understanding and FEEL with the person. It means not only putting yourself in his shoes, but also his heart. This is why empathy is also regarded as one of the best tools in aiding criminals to change their ways. Empathizing with their victims will help stir their feelings and emotions and thus they will be determined to change their ways
However, it is not impossible to feel the same way as the ‘sufferer’ does even though you have not been through the same experience before. It is just very rare that you will find such people who have a deep understanding of what truly are the feelings, emotions and decisions involved when a loss has occurred.
Marcus: Wow! really good point there, however empathy is already putting yourself into everything, am i right? well! good comment though! thank you!
empathy better than sympathy.
Marj: That provides if you are able to understand and put yourself into the person who is having problem.
Empathy is really putting yourself into others shoe, which make you feel the way he/she would think and feel
Slyvester: Great! at least you understand! Thank you!
If your emotional abilities aren’t in hand, if you don’t have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can’t have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far.
I love This…
EmOterO: Hold on here, emotional abilities are meant to be controlled by us, if we can’t then we can’t go far, correct. However we should have this basic stuffs before we get into something else. Thank you!