Introduction
The human emotion is very sophisticated and it's drives people to act in different ways. In life, the right emotion at the right time for the right circumstance is often necessary in helping us handle or dealing. However, sometimes, it's always important to recognize a feeling, an emotion and ask ourselves if we're channeling it quite properly.
Some of such similar emotions which people often confuse are sympathy, empathy, compassion and pity. These emotions drive to an end game and that is experiencing pain resultant from the predicaments of a person. However, the difference is the feedback these emotions tend to create, and these feedbacks often determines our cause of actions, which can then tell or prove what we have actually felt in the first place.
Sympathy
Sympathy originates from a true feeling of agony in solidarity with the challenging circumstances or predicament of a person. In life, being sympathetic is keying into the sorrow of others, channeling their pain, seeing from their perspective and point of view, as well as putting yourselves in their shoes.
You can see how I used "true feelings". Sympathy moves you to show a human side, you find the need to be feel the sadness of others, their sadness emanates within you and while sympathy isn't taking actions as a result of one's feeling. It is actually the origin, or feeling, which will now push us to take some particular course of action.
In life, many aren't sympathetic, they feel that sympathy can imbue actions that are based on emotions rather than logic. However, when we humans choose to be logical at all times, how then can we truly know pain, especially when we cannot relate to that penury that comes with it?
Empathy
This, on the other hand, empathy deals with understanding. The ability to have a clearer picture, or directive, of a person's predicaments. The difference here is that, sympathy is that feeling of pain for a person's situation.
While empathy is relating and sharing that particular feeling as a result of actually experiencing that same thing that person has gone through, or knowing a lot of people who have gone through the same thing. Racism for example is relatable, a person who has not been racially abused would firstly feel sympathy, that is feeling pain for someone who has been racially abused then secondly their level of empathy would follow. This would then bring them to relate with the issue of racism.
To the extent that even if they haven't been racially abused, that fact that they've seen people who have would make the situation totally relatable and hence this will push them further to a stage of understanding. While you can feel pain for someone, understanding their pain further might be difficult unless you can truly key into their experience.
Compassion
Compassion on the other hand is driven by the need to act or take action. In this situation, we're strongly impelled to change a situation. It is the need swelling inside, fuelled by empathy, to influence the narrative in a better and positive way.
Compassion is the purest of all these feelings because its intent justifies the first two emotions and why they should actually come to light in the first place. You see, while everyone has the tendency to be sympathetic and empathic, it's not everyone that has that opportunity or drive to actually attain that level of compassion. Compassion brings one to want to change a particular situation.
Citing that same example with racism. Most people can understand and sympathize with people who have been racially abused, but then it's only the right people who have the opportunity and means that can truly impact humanity towards changing their perspective on racism. However, everyone has the ability to showcase compassion, especially if their ability to forestall a change is totally evident. In life, being conscious enough moves one to the feeling of compassion.
Pity
This is a condescending feeling of sympathy. Pity is purely showing emotions that might not drive us to truly understanding a person's plight. The truth is, many often confuse what pity is. But the only way you can justify or simplifying it is to actually understand its intent. Stigma for example is a sort of human emotions that drives people to pity.
When you pity people, you develop a certain feeling or superiority, you do not see yourself going through a situation which a person might be going through, as a result of this, you fail to totally understand the plight of a person. When you showcase pity, it is slightly being sympathetic, however, on the surface.
It doesn't drive any positive action or a feeling of solidarity, and this is while we should feel sympathy more than pity. The intentions are what generally defines it. Pity might not move you to understanding the plight of others, you only feel a condescending pang of sorrow towards them that can be negative.
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My name is @Josediccus, a young Nigerian entrepreneur who is a Vlogger, A Psychologist, Poet, Sports Writer/Analyst & Personal Finance Coach. I'm using my contents as a process to create shared meaning as well as create expressions through which people on/off hive can relate. I believe content is a process to be enjoyed and relished and I'm up for any collaborations in my field stated above. Cheers
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I always thought I was empathetic but now I realize that I feel mostly sympathy from reading this.
Sometimes we tend do mix it up, but then it's totally different. We feel them differently but its always hard to place a finger on what is what.
Yeah, learned a lot reading this.
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Wow, this is a big one. I would need to read this post over and over. I confuse everything for each other.
You have done well to bring share this with us.
Thanks for the other day, but I noticed that I had limited options to edit, and even upload pictures, I eventually saved it on 3speaks and copied the link to my post on proofofbrain, but I noticed that is saved twice on hive. I have checked for videos but I still can’t get a direct answer