- Sympathy
Sympathy is a social affinity in which one person stands with another person, closely understanding his or her feelings. The word derives from the Greek "συμπάθεια" ("sympatheia") [ [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3D%2398480 Sympatheia, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, "A Greek-English Lexicon", at Perseus] ] , from "συν" ("syn") "together" + "πάθος" ("
pathos "), in this case "suffering" (from "πάσχω" - "pascho", "to be affected by, to suffer"). It also can mean being affected by feelings or emotions. Thus the essence of sympathy is that one has a strong concern for the other person. Sympathy should not be confused withempathy (more than simply the recognition of another's suffering, sympathy is actually sharing another's suffering, if only briefly).Sympathy exists when the feelings or
emotions of one person are deeply understood and even appreciated by another person.In common usage, sympathy is usually making known one's understanding of another'sunhappiness orsuffering , but it can also refer to being aware of other (positive ) emotions as well. In a broader sense, it can refer to the sharing of political or ideological sentiments, such as in the phrase "a communist sympathizer".The psychological state of sympathy is closely linked with that of
compassion andempathy .ee also
*
Condolences
*Emotional intelligence
*Acceptance
*Compassion
*Empathy
*Pity References
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