Understanding Empathy vs. Sympathy: What’s the Difference?

Empathy and sympathy go to the core of what it means to be human.
We are a social and highly cooperative animal that depends on close bonds within families and communities (Warneken & Tomasello, 2006).
None of this would be possible without empathy and sympathy, so much so that we might barely notice them most of the time, like the proverbial fish who does not know that it is wet.
But when we reflect on these powerful forces in our lives, we might notice the subtle differences between them and consider the differing characteristics and roles of empathy vs. sympathy.
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