Sympathy is an emotional inclination.
In some cases, the etymological origin of a word already provides its precise definition. That's what happens with sympathy , which comes from the Latin simpathia . This word, in turn, derives from a Greek concept that means “community of feelings.”
Sympathy, therefore, is that emotional inclination that exists between two or more people. For example: “There is great sympathy between her and me,” “Marcos and Abel do not like each other.”
Generally, sympathy is mutual and arises spontaneously. However, it is possible that, over time , getting to know another person better gives rise to a sympathy that, in principle, did not exist.
Sympathy, an inclination
Although the term is used in interpersonal relationships, sympathy also refers to the analogous inclination towards animals or objects. For physics , sympathy is the relationship between two bodies or systems through which the action of one induces the same behavior in the other.
On the other hand, sympathy is part of a person's personality . It is something typical of his way of being and his character, which makes said subject someone pleasant to others: “Alfredo won me over with his friendliness,” “Thanks to his friendliness, the candidate managed to seduce the neighbors and "He was well positioned for the elections."
Sympathy usually originates spontaneously and is mutual.
The concept in psychology
In psychology , the concept is understood as a mechanism of influence and is related to the affective part that mobilizes the attitude of an individual . When he is in a pleasant situation, in which he feels comfortable, he experiences a positive affective state which helps him maintain good relationships with his environment.
According to specialists, to make a person present themselves as positive and pleasant, it is necessary to provide them with a comfortable situation using the resources that exist in the environment . It is possible that taking into account a series of elements, even if that person was in a situation of stress or negativity, upon experiencing a change in their environment they can completely modify their attitude. For example, inviting someone to a meal to get to them is a good technique because, after this, the individual's sympathy will increase and it will be possible to establish a friendly relationship .
Like this, there are hundreds of strategies to conquer an individual; In fact, those who run the sects use them to gain followers.
Differences between sympathy and empathy
These two concepts are often confused and, although in some sense they are related, they are not exactly the same. The difference is that sympathy consists of the ability to perceive a situation in a similar way to another person , while empathy refers to the ability to feel the same as the other person, that is, to put yourself in their place .
The second is a mental identification with the other's state of mind and receives various names such as interpersonal or emotional intelligence ; which, according to various specialists, consists of one of the most complex abilities of living beings, which is learned through education, you are not born with it. At this point they differ sharply since, in sympathy, it arises spontaneously and does not have to be learned.
To better understand these differences let's take an example:
– Sympathy : You meet a person and you like them, you feel emotionally close to them even if you don't fully understand their way of feeling or thinking.
– Empathy : You meet a person and you get close to them to the point that you manage to put yourself in their place, regardless of whether or not you share their way of seeing things.