Sympathy: quick facts
Sympathy is the feeling of care and concern for someone facing difficulty, together with a wish that things were better for them. It differs from empathy in that one feels for another rather than fully feeling with them…
Category
Complex & secondary emotions
Valence
Neutral
Emotion family / blend
Tenderness
Typical triggers
Others' troubles, shared concern, hearing of hardship, distress in others
How it's expressed
Concerned expression, nodding, soft tone, supportive gestures, attentive care
Sources: American Psychological Association — APA Dictionary: emotion; Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley — Emotions; Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions (Robert Plutchik) — overview. Educational information only — not medical or psychological advice. See our sources & fact-check policy.