I find it interesting how many varying definitions for empathy I'm seeing in this thread. I always thought of empathy to specifically be "feeling oriented", not simply taking someone else's perspective. Not saying anyone is wrong here, seems like we have yet to fully come to a consensus on what the word empathy really means.
> how many varying definitions for empathy I'm seeing
The words sympathy and empathy are like the words ashamed and embarrassed. Everyone thinks they know the difference, but when they try to explain it, they find that it's very difficult to separate the words.
At least for my own mind, I found a handy way of differentiating sympathy and empathy from a line in The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell: If I hit my thumb with a hammer, most people watching will grimace: they'll mimic my emotional state. This is what is meant by empathy. So, then, sympathy is when you don't grimace but say something like, "I hope you're OK."
