i think the term "man-child" has a lot to offer once you stop seeing it as automatically derogatory and start seeing it as a more neutral description, or even as - god forbid - a potential cause for empathy
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Empathy does not mean sympath in this case or any other. they are seperate terms
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can you clarify the difference between how you're using them? i don't have a clear division in my head and neither does google
what i mean is something like "do you understand how you could be capable of doing what this person did if you were in their shoes" (whatever that means) or like "do you understand how it feels to live in the world where what this person did makes sense"
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For me the issue is that I (feel like I) do understand that, in that for men I've known like this the explanation was that they'd been extremely sheltered & protected from consequence, & taught that finding something difficult meant they *couldn't* do it 1/2
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Empathy is usually compulsive, and involves feeling the other person’s emotions as if they were your own. Sympathy is understanding where another person’s emotions are coming from and being able to send loving kindness to them at least in that narrow respect
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(Not to swoop in, I bet Caroline’s definition is gonna be better!)
(Also I would change my username to sympathy2000 if I didn’t have a brand to maintain)
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Thank you
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When I empathize with a person I attempt to see their world thru their perspective. It is an active act and hard work. When I sympathize w/ someone I feel sadness/compassion for their experience but I don’t necessarily attempt to understand their experience from their perspective
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