Empathy and Sympathy

A response to the Misunderstood Activity
created by Jennifer Abrams (@jabrams)

Number of views: 167

Developing Empathy is key for Social Service Workers.  When empathy is introduced, there can be resistance in relation to behaviors and attitudes that are morally objectionable. Empathy can involve kind feeling, understanding and sympathy but as a professional, one can empathize without sympathizing. With the  images used (a broken door/window and a crying adolescent) you can have many thoughts about who broke the window/door and why but, when paired with the second image, your thoughts may change about how to proceed. The second image is selected to illicit compassion, but the discussion could center around seeing anyone who did the damage as a human with feelings and vulnerabilities and developing the ability to understand the why…

Communication and insight are to empathy what comfort and pity are to sympathy.