noun
is a term used to describe the
proper feeling experienced by one when committing a charitable good deed for another who has succumbed to destress or misfortune in life, whereby they themselves have never experienced such
pain, suffering or misfortune? who then confuse thier
feelings of wishing to
help as stemming from a sense of empathy with the pains, sufferings, and troubles of the mentioned
party or parties. This viewpoint is however incorrect, for empathy is a feeling which drives from one'
s ability to understand and relate to any given painful and
tragic experience being suffered by another. Therefore, since they themselves have not encountered or experienced any such misfortune, then it is inconceivable that they, in turn, would have either the ability or
even the inkling to relate with or understand the implications of the pains, sufferings, and misfortunes at hand. What such individuals are in fact feeling is a sense of epathy, which is a feeling that drives from either one's need for the satisfying of one's need for fulfilling one's moral and ethical duty to one's fellow man. However, as pointed out, do to lack of any level of personal experience with the mentioned misfortunes, any such act of
charity cannot be mistaken for empathy, but rather epathy.
Mike who has never experienced the hardships of
poverty, in result although cannot feel any level of empathy for those within
society who are in need. He does, however, feel a great sense of epathy to
help those less fortunate than himself within the social group, the best way he can.
