Sympathy vs. Compassion



Sympathy and compassion are two words that can be similar but are truly not.  The Wikipedia and Bing Dictionaries state that they are synonyms.

Sympathy, a word quite often associated with the passing of a friend or a loved one.  Many people express their sympathy with a hug, a card, sending flowers, or cooking a meal.  Their act of kindness shows a genuine concern for the bereaving person or family.

Sympathy, when used around an office or in a business setting is quite different.  Often it lets a person know that you can relate to his or her situation or predicament.

Compassion seems to me to go well beyond the verbal gesture.   Compassion involves action.  It also involves emotion.  It is that emotion that allows one individual to (in a sense) take on some of the burden of the other person. 

That taking on of the burden can be financial, physical, emotional or spiritual.

To me, showing compassion or having compassion means you are seeing yourself walking in that other person’s shoes. 
Thus they are enduring some of the hardship, pain and struggle that a friend or coworker may be going through.

In my mind, it’s a formula.  Sympathy + empathy = compassion.

Compassion is sympathy with a heart.

There are times in a relationship when one party wants sympathy.  A simple acknowledgement of understand what they are going through is usually enough to meet that need.

This is NOT to be confused with a “pity party”. 

The individual simply wants their mate or close friend to let them know that they understand.

And, there are times in a relationship when an individual yearns for compassion.  They actually want their partner to share in their pain or suffering – thus enabling the two to work together to overcome the challenge or hurdle.

I am not saying this is a “dumping on” of problems.  The individual simply is seeking a team mate to draw strength from to overcome their battle.

By the way, both sympathy and compassion are not male or female – they simply are.

Please – tell me your thoughts on the comparison of sympathy and compassion.  Feel free to post on this page’s blog, e-mail me or shoot me a Facebook , message.

Have a great week

Ron  

To schedule Ron to speak to your business, civic group
or organization, contact him at:ron@ronorendi.com
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