Empathy is the
ability to experience the feelings of another person. It goes beyond sympathy,
which is caring and understanding for the suffering of others.
| | Empathy | Sympathy |
Definition
| Understanding what others are feeling because you have experienced it yourself or can put yourself in their shoes. | Acknowledging another person's emotional hardships and
providing comfort and assurance. |
Example
| "I know it's not easy to lose weight because I have faced
the same problems myself." | "Trying to lose weight can feel like a uphill battle at
first." |
Relationship
| Personal understanding | Understanding the experience of others |
Nursing context
| A doctor relating with a patient because he or she has been in
a similar situation or experience | Doctors comforting patients or their families |
Scope
| Personal; it can be one to many in some circumstances | From either one to another person or one to many (or one to a
group). |
Emotional Differences
The feeling of sympathy emerges from the recognition that another person is suffering, in contrast to empathy, where the other person's pain or suffering is
felt. A person expresses sympathy, but shares empathy. The empathic feeling may be brief, and the person feeling it is said to "put themselves in the other person's place."
Of the two, empathy is a deeper feeling, but sympathy can be just as honest and heartfelt. However, empathy can forge a deeper and more meaningful connection, thus serving as a bridge for greater communication between individuals or between a leader and his or her followers.
When To Use Sympathy
In a leadership context, you may feel sympathy for someone going through a hardship, especially if your relationship to the person is of a professional nature. This particular leadership style is crucial to maintaining an open line of communication between you and your employee but it doesn't require the intimacy that empathy does. As a leader, you must be able to sympathize with and understand what those you lead are going through and act accordingly when it comes to things like time off, missed deadlines and other effects of a difficult period.
When To Use Empathy
Empathy, which is more personal in nature, involves the ability to actually emote in ways the other person is emoting. If you are leading in a religious setting, a non-profit setting or any other context that is not of a professional nature, empathy is an asset as a leader. Empathy is putting yourself in someone else's shoes. This is important, whether it involves the death of a loved one or is simply an interpersonal issue between one member of your team and another.
Reference :
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Empathy_vs_Sympathy
http://www.ehow.com/info_8488291_sympathy-vs-empathy-leadership-styles.html
Empathy - Wiktionary
Sympathy - Wiktionary
