Sympathy ≠ Empathy

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I shared a thoughtful video this morning about the difference between empathy and sympathy. In sharing it I said: "Nobody wants sympathy but everyone needs empathy." Here is the text that accompanied the video.

Empathy and sympathy are not just two different approaches to confronting the emotional challenges of others; they are diametrically opposite responses in many important ways. Sympathy places another's problems at a distance from us, places us in a position of superiority, and "drives separation", says the film's narrator, Dr. Brené Brown. Empathy, on the other hand, requires that one internalize the feelings of another. That shared experience drives interpersonal connection, she says. "What makes things better is connection."

The video is less than three minutes. Watch it here and let me know what you think. Do you resonate with it?

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