Sympathy+V.+Empathy


 * Sympathy V. Empathy**

Sympathy differs from empathy in the sense that Empathy requires one to completely separate themselves from personal reflection of a situation, and place themselves in the world of the other person. This is to attempt to view the other person’s exact feelings. You can do so by placing yourself outside your own beliefs and reactions, taking the other persons view of reality as your own, and mentally noting, and feeling, the deep rooted reaction of the other person. Sympathy only requires a personal reflection of one’s own reality, essentially standing in someone else’s shoes, but focusing on the way you yourself would react in the same situation. This again places your own cultural view and experiences onto the other person, and a complete understanding of the other person will not be reached. Application: High Fives has been very successful in gaining support from the snow sport community and many of its large brands and organizations. These companies are a part of the same community and are able to empathically understand to a high degree exactly how devastating the athletes injuries are, and how and why the athletes lives are affected as immensely as they are. The challenge now is presenting the High Fives organization to people outside this community, and breaching the line from sympathy to empathy, thus creating a second reality the potential funders can place themselves in, creating a resonating connection to the organizations cause; helping the athletes return to a life they once had and loved. The outside companies will naturally turn to sympathy, remembering their own struggle they may have had, a huge injury, a life altering decision, etc… but a point must be made to allow this reaction, but push it past this level. Sympathy creates an understanding, but empathy creates a selfless connection. Getting these funders to see that these athlete’s traumatic events are more significant to them and their community than can ever truly be comprehended forces the people of these outside companies to see past their sympathetic reactions and attempt to move towards empathy.