Sympathy vs Empathy 

Sympathy looks downward. It says: “I feel bad for you.” It positions me outside your experience, offering pity or comfort from a distance. It can soothe, but it can also reinforce disconnection — I stay the helper, you stay the sufferer.

Empathy moves alongside. It says: “I feel with you.” It enters your world without trying to fix, reduce, or stand above it. It’s resonance, not rescue.

In humanist work, empathy restores dignity. Sympathy often leaves people feeling small and disempowered; empathy lets you feel seen.