What is the difference between Empathy and Sympathy?

The definition of sympathy:

“feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else’s misfortune.”

The definition of empathy:

“the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. ”

We are empaths, not sympaths.  Empathy is having a high enough awareness to tap into the feelings of others. To listen a story being told so fully you experience it alongside the story teller.

It’s creating a space of comfort for someone because they know you have an understanding of their emotions. We all experience our own versions of shared emotions like sadness, excitement, anything.