What is the difference between sympathy and empathy?

Let me tell you about a recent scenario and epiphany that I had in relation to this subject.

I actually have a friend that helped me have a deeper understanding of empathy and how it develops as we peel back the layers on our spiritual development journey.

I noticed that over time, the more healings that I have experienced, the more empathy I feel. The spiritual term for that is an empath. I saw it on a raw level though not long ago. My little sister has become a vegan and while I stayed at home for a few weeks in between moving – I found that I couldn’t handle watching the animals be tortured and killed for food. It was horrible and has certainly turned me off eating so much meat.

Then I was at my friends, a video came on my news feed of how poorly a young calf was being treated in a dairy farm. It actually made me tear up.

I showed her the video and she said “is that bad that it doesn’t affect me at all?”.
I was shocked at first but allowed myself to understand and go deeper, so not too judge. I realised that I have been like her in the past, it didn’t affect me and I happily ate as much meat as I could.

Until more recent times where I am very empathetic. So what does this mean?

I was in so much pain myself, deep down and hiding it from the world with my cool and everything is fine exterior, boy, who was I kidding? To my credit, I didn’t know about healing back then so I forgive myself.

So hiding it with a cold and angry or fake positive exterior means that I cannot sympathize with others pain when I have done everything I can to block my own.

Yes, my friend does have a lot to work on and this made it very clear from her reaction. But I know that we are all on our own journey and trust that in divine timing or if it’s her path she will ask me or someone to assist her.

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