3 Big Differences Between Sympathy and Empathy You Should Know

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People often confuse the words empathy & sympathy to mean the same thing. Although they are frequently used in similar contexts to describe the nature of the relationship one has with the feelings and experiences of another individual.

There are big differences between Sympathy and Empathy professionals should know, especially those who interact with a lot of people in the course of their jobs

Sympathy

A feeling of care and concern

Sympathy is derived from the Greek words Syn & Pathos – meaning ‘with feeling’  Sympathy is a feeling of care and concern for someone and is primarily used today to convey commiseration or pity for someone who is experiencing misfortune.

Example of sympathy

John paid a visit to his ex-wife to sympathize with her over the death of her Mom

Onlookers had little sympathy for the murderous gang as they were led away to the gallows

Empathy

Understanding and sharing the experiences, feelings, and emotions

Empathy is derived from 2 Greek words em & pathos, which translates to ‘in feeling’. Empathy has to do with understanding and sharing the experiences, feelings, and emotions of another person.  It is the ability to experience the feelings of another person, in other words, empathy means putting yourself in another’s shoes.

Example of empathy

The empathy shown by the nurse, who had lost a daughter ten years earlier, formed a lasting bond between the two women.

The counsellor spoke with the troubled couple about the importance of being good listeners and showing empathy for each others plight

The 3 Differences Between Sympathy & Empathy

It is easy to see that sympathy and empathy have roots in the Greek term páthos which translates to suffering, sensation or feeling. No wonder people often use them interchangeably even though both words have varied meanings. The Infographic below highlights 3 important differences between Empathy & Sympathy.

Differences Between Sympathy & Empathy in a table form

In customer service, empathy plays a significant role in interacting with customers, especially in complaint resolution. Check out this Parking Ticket experiment. The researchers gauge people’s reactions after they experience getting a parking ticket. They discovered that participants who were shown empathy felt happier than those whom the researcher simply sympathized with.

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Empathy is an important skill for service professionals to master. The ability to put yourself in the shoes of a customer gives you a better perspective and context of the customer and how he/she might be feeling at the time. This knowledge positions you to render better service, which leaves the customer feeling understood & valued.

Kelechi Okeke
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