sympathy
Sign in to saveSympathy is the perception of, understanding of, and supportive reaction to the distress or need of another life form.
AI overview
Sympathy is when you recognize that another person or animal is suffering or in need, understand what they're going through, and respond with support or concern. It matters because it motivates us to help others and forms the basis for compassion and caring relationships.
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Article
15 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Distinctions between sympathy and related concepts
- Causes
- Evolutionary origins
- Communication
- Human behavior
- Healthcare
- Neuroscience perspectives
- Child development
- Theory of mind
- Innate feature
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Sympathy is the perception of, understanding of, and supportive reaction to the distress or need of another life form.
According to philosopher David Hume, this sympathetic concern is driven by a switch in viewpoint from a personal perspective to the perspective of another group or individual who is in need. Hume explained that this is the case because "the minds of all men are similar in their feelings and operations" and that "the motion of one communicates itself to the rest" so that as "affections readily pass from one person to another… they beget correspondent movements."