Empathy refers to the ability to understand how a person feels and to experience their emotions. Sympathy refers to feeling for another, such as feeling sorry for them, without actually feeling their emotions.

Some people use empathy and sympathy interchangeably, but there are distinct differences. Empathy is usually internal, while sympathy is typically an outward expression.

Empathy involves being able to put yourself in the person’s shoes, understanding and feeling the same emotions. You are feeling emotions with them.

Sympathy involves feeling emotions for the person, rather than with them. This means that you might feel sorry for them or for their situation, but you won’t feel the emotions that they are experiencing.

Read on to learn more about empathy and sympathy.

Empathy is the ability to internally understand how a person feels. You are able to put yourself in the person’s position and share their emotions.

Two types of empathy include affective empathy and cognitive empathy. Affective empathy refers to the ability to feel another person’s emotions while they are experiencing them, while cognitive empathy is the ability to understand their emotions even if you are not in the same situation.

Empathy is important because it helps us to understand other people’s situations and allows us to respond in a caring and empathetic way.

Sympathy involves feeling for a person’s situation, even if you do not have shared experience or emotions.

It can involve the outward expression of pity or feeling sorry for the individual.

Empathy can turn into sympathy in some cases. A 2016 article also suggests that empathy includes elements of sympathy.

If you have empathy for somebody and are able to feel their emotions, this may lead you to feel sorry for or sympathetic toward their situation.

However, it is possible for you to feel empathy internally without outwardly expressing sympathy.

It may be possible to learn empathy. For example, parenting styles can help a child develop empathy.

However, some research suggests that a person’s level of empathy can also be influenced by genetics. Genetic makeup may play a role in the ability to understand another person’s emotions.

Further research is necessary to better understand the relationship between empathy and genetics.

Empathy does not always lead to helping behavior. Being empathetic means understanding how a person feels, but it does not necessarily lead to action.

However, an American Psychological Association (APA) article explains that empathy can result in actions that can help:

  • individuals
  • relationships
  • society

It can also encourage:

  • forgiveness
  • kindness
  • volunteering

Empathy is the ability to understand how somebody is feeling and experience their emotions alongside them. Sympathy is when you feel for an individual or their situation, such as feeling pity or sorrow, but it does not involve feeling the same emotions.

Empathy can develop in childhood as a result of your upbringing. Genetics may also determine a person’s level of empathy, but more research is necessary.