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Debate Info

17
35
Empathy Sympathy
Debate Score:52
Arguments:49
Total Votes:52
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Argument Ratio

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 Empathy (15)
 
 Sympathy (30)

Debate Creator

flewk(1193) pic



Empathy w/o Compassion vs Sympathy w/o Understanding

Empathy: to understand someone else

Sympathy: to feel sorry for someone else

Which is better (interpret "better" however you want)?

Empathy

Side Score: 17
VS.

Sympathy

Side Score: 35
2 points

When you come across someone who has empathy for your situation, you can ask how they managed and find motivation in that if they were able to overcome the problem, so should you. And if they are still dealing with it, you can find comfort in knowing that you are not alone.

When you come across someone who has sympathy for your situation, they can't help and they come across as someone who doesn't believe in your ability to dig yourself out. This attitude robs you of your motivation to fight harder. This is why I am against welfare. Give the person money, sure, but if they are able bodied, make them work for it. Once their motivation is gone, it is harder for them to get it back and improve their lot. This lack of motivation is infectious, which can lead to generational welfare recipients.

Side: Empathy
flewk(1193) Clarified
2 points

This is why I am against welfare. Give the person money, sure, but if they are able bodied, make them work for it.

There are families with full-time working parents that are still on welfare. Empathy would also require understanding of the various factors that push families into welfare, not just factors that lead to abuse of welfare.

Side: Empathy
2 points

Those situations can be dealt with on a case by case basis.

Side: Empathy
Cartman(18192) Disputed
1 point

Your whole argument is directions on how to have sympathy without understanding. You are just claiming to have a better solution based on your sympathy without understanding. All you have shown is another way to fix a misunderstood problem.

Side: Sympathy
1 point

I empathize with you.

Side: Sympathy

Well understanding develops mutual trust and in the long run,gives evolution to sympathy and commiseration

Side: Empathy

Empathy is useless without compassion. The whole point of it is so that you feel compassion towards someone.

Side: Sympathy
flewk(1193) Clarified
2 points

I would say the whole point is to understand someone else.

Maybe I should include basic definitions from Wiki or something. People tend to confuse empathy with sympathy.

Side: Empathy
2 points

Empathy tends to mean the ability get into another person and more fully understand them, so having empathy doesn’t necessarily mean we want to help someone in need, more likely a step toward compassionate action..

Sympathy on the other hand means compassion for another person and so more likely than not the implication is to act upon it to help them.

Side: Sympathy
flewk(1193) Clarified
2 points

But how effective will the assistance be without understanding? Just because you feel sympathy and try to help does not mean you will succeed without understanding.

Side: Empathy
2 points

Perhaps we will just have to learn to empathic while we are being sympathetic then we will have empathic understanding while we provide compassionate sympathy...?

Side: Sympathy