What does it mean if someone says “I have empathy for you but not sympathy” ?

[Anonymous]

[xJeremyx]

"I do not understand your situation because I have never experienced it before, but from what I see, it really sucks for you, so here's a *hug* and I am always trying to understand your feelings; you are not alone."

[Asker]

I think you have them reversed. Empathy meaning they understand but they don’t have sympathy or no hug

[FunkyMonkee]

They don''t feel sorry for you but they've gone through the same thing or know how it feels to have gone through what you did.

[Kori1236]

They understand the feelings you’re feeling. But they’re not sorry you’re going through whatever you’re going through. They can empathize and make you feel better but don’t sympathize with you

[Máiiréad]

They understand the feelings that you are going through because they've gone through it themselves but they don't care that you are going through it.

[Chazmatazz269]

You have to have personal experience that matches someone else’s in order to have sympathy. Empathy is something we practice more than experience. It’s an effort to understand bad experiences or circumstances that we’ve never experienced ourselves.

[SnowedIn]

That they understand whatever it is you're experiencing but they don't care/they're not sorry about it.

[Anonymous]

Sympathy is a feeling of sincere concern for someone who is experiencing something difficult or painful. Empathy involves actively sharing in the person’s emotional experience.

Google is a wonderful thing.

[OddBeMe]

Empathy: seeing from your POV.
Sympathy: pitying your POV.

[Asker]

Kind of. Sympathy is more feeling bad empathy is understanding them

[OddBeMe]

Yeah exactly. Empathy has nothing to do with emotions. It’s simple an ability to see from their shoes. It’s a rare gift.

[Asker]

Yes exactly

[OddBeMe]

But teachable, I think. My fav class was debate. Our teacher had us choose are side of an argument and partner up to debate. Then he made us switch sides. We had to argue the opposite opinion.

[Asker]

Yeah that’s always interesting to do

[FilmGuy93]

They can understand why you feel the way you do, but they don’t think you have the right to feel that way.

[hafinjun]

It means they feel your pain but they don't feel sorry for you or being in pain

[OfDeath]

That they know how you feel but they don't care.

[crossdressingrihno]

It’s basically


“I’ve been through it and know how you feel but suck it maggot”

[MysteriousDarkness]

They understand what you're going through but don't have pity for you.

[inhua]

they don't care about you

[MCheetah]

It means you deserve what's coming for you.

[coolguy919]

They independently feel bad for you but can't relate to your experience.

[aaron210419]

I feel your pain but I don't feel sorry for you

[In_Trance]

How is that not clear?

[KrakenAttackin]

It means they don'tt give a fuck.