Sympathy Versus Empathy
Personal & Social Development · Empathy & Social Awareness · procedural
Distinguish sympathy ('I feel sorry for you') from empathy ('I understand what you're experiencing'); develop active listening skills: reflecting, paraphrasing, asking open questions, resisting the urge to problem-solve too quickly; understand empathic curiosity as genuine interest in another person's inner world; practise being present for someone in distress without trying to fix or minimise their experience; understand vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue, and how empathetic people can protect their own wellbeing while staying present for others
Check your understanding
When a friend is going through something really difficult, can Sympathy Versus Empathy describe what makes a listener genuinely helpful — and explain the difference between empathy and sympathy, using an example of something that sounds supportive but actually isn't?
Prerequisites
Required first