Is compassion empathy?

[Buttoneer]

Are they synonymous?

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Related, but not the same.

Empathy is an internal reaction. Someone is hurt and you can re-live a similar experience that you've had as well. (Different from sympathy where you say, "I can understand how you feel. Empathy is more like "Been there; done that" )

Compassion is more of an external reaction. Someone is hurt and you offer aid, an affirmative act to heal, to restore, to listen.

[choie]

2. That is a really good explanation!

Nt

[AZJonnie]

3. Excellent general description but I also think compassion can be properly called a feeling, like empathy

Compassion is a general sense of largesse, and empathy is a specific type of largesse, born of feeling the pain of another as if it were your own. When using the word to describe a feeling rather than an action, empathy is a wholly contained subset of compassion. If you are empathetic, you are also compassionate. But the converse is not always true.

Also I think one could argue that empathy is a wholly contained subset of sympathy. If you are empathetic, you are also sympathetic. But the converse is not always true.

So I've decided after writing this out, in order of increasing specificity it goes Compassion>Sympathy>Empathy. The Venn diagram would have compassion as the outside, which holds sympathy, which then holds empathy. When using the words to describe internal feelings.

But it gets a little more complex when you make them into their action form: Displaying Compassion, Sympathizing, Empathizing.

MHO fwiw

[OldBaldy1701E]

4. I feel that empathy leads to compassion.

But, I am not aware that working the other way around, usually because I know of compassionate people who are not exactly empathic, but I have not met anyone who is empathic and not also compassionate.

[nuxvomica]

5. empathy is a skill while compassion is a feeling

Empathy is the learned ability to "put yourself in someone else's shoes", to think from another's point of view, which is why it is a necessary skill in understanding sarcasm. Compassion is feeling bad for another's suffering. My cat is compassionate when I'm feeling down but it is unlikely he understands why I'm feeling down.

[soldierant]

6. Compassion id from Latin and

literally translates into Greek as "sympathy." Both mean feeling with.

The closest I can come to a Latin equivalent of empathy would be "impassion." both would mean "feeling inside of" or "feeling internally." But "impassion" as a noun never made it into English. "Impassioned" as an adjective did, but means something a little different. So empathy really is unique - although compassion is close.

[Buttoneer]

7. From a friend. "Empathy is identifying, understanding and realizing (usually from having experienced or from sharing)

the emotions of others. Sympathy is observing and caring about the feelings of others. Not everyone can be empathetic. Therefore, compassion only requires sympathy. Empathy simply puts a more personal touch to compassion."