--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most of us think about empathy as a…" description: "\"“Most of us think about empathy as a “feeling” or an “emotion.” It is. To be empathetic is to be able to feel what the other person is feeling. But emp..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/barry-schwartz-19557_compassion_most-of-us-think-about-empathy-as-a-feel_2623268.jpg" --- # Most of us think about empathy as a “feeling” or an… ![“Most of us think about empathy as a “feeling” or an “emotion.” It is. To be empathetic is to be able to feel what the other person is feeling. But empathy is more than just a feeling. In order to be able to feel what another person is feeling, you need to be able to see the world as that other…” quote by Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/barry-schwartz-19557_compassion_most-of-us-think-about-empathy-as-a-feel_2623268.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/barry-schwartz-19557_compassion_most-of-us-think-about-empathy-as-a-feel_2623268.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/barry-schwartz-19557_compassion_most-of-us-think-about-empathy-as-a-feel_2623268.jpg) > ““Most of us think about empathy as a “feeling” or an “emotion.” It is. To be empathetic is to be able to feel what the other person is feeling. But empathy is more than just a feeling. In order to be able to feel what another person is feeling, you need to be able to see the world as that other person sees it. This ability to take the perspective of another demands perception and imagination. Empathy thus reflects the integration of thinking and feeling.”” [Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Empathy requires both feeling another's emotions and imagining their perspective, blending cognition and affect. **In simple terms:** Empathy mixes feeling and seeing from another's view. Key Takeaway Cultivate both emotional resonance and perspective‑taking. Themes empathy perspective cognition emotion imagination Mood compassionate reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - conflict resolution - team leadership - customer service - education - mental health counseling Key Concepts Theory of Mind emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice perspective‑taking with someone very different from you? - What barriers prevent you from fully understanding another’s experience? A Different Perspective Empathy can be limited by personal bias or lack of experience with the other's context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) ## Related quotes > [A lot of people ask, "What do you pull on in your own life from your character?" 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Whenever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/my-book-is-going-to-be-called-against-empathy-which-may-give-you-a/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [Sympathy is towards someone else, versus empathy, which is feeling like someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saschka-unseld/sympathy-is-towards-someone-else-versus-empathy-which-is-feeling-like/) [Saschka Unseld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saschka-unseld/) > [Empathy and fellow feeling form the very basis of morality. The capacities for empathy, for feeling responsibility toward others and for reaching out to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sissela-bok/empathy-and-fellow-feeling-form-the-very-basis-of-morality-the/) [Sissela Bok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sissela-bok/) > [Compassion and empathy are not the same as feeling sorry for oneself. They are emotions that extend our perceptual ranges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/compassion-and-empathy-are-not-the-same-as-feeling-sorry-for-oneself/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“have to. But this apparent coldness is not a lack of empathy and feeling; it is a hypersensitivity. It is feeling too much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-berry/have-to-but-this-apparent-coldness-is-not-a-lack-of-empathy-and/) [Kevin Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-berry/) > [I think there's such a fine line in a relationship. 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They tell me what they think I feel because they've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-lucas/and-i-think-for-a-moment-because-people-don-t-actually-ask-that-very/) Rachael Lucas > [The Curious Incident brims with imagination, empathy, and vision — plus it's a lot of fun to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myla-goldberg/the-curious-incident-brims-with-imagination-empathy-and-vision-plus/) [Myla Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myla-goldberg/) > [“We got talking about how some people were selfish and some weren’t, and the difference between right-wing people and left-wing people. 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Then when you discover that you actually need people who want to do the right thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schwartz/when-you-rely-on-incentives-you-undermine-virtues-then-when-you/) [Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) > [“Emotions properly trained and modulated, Aristotle told his readers, are essential to being practically wise: We can experience fear, confidence, desire, anger, pity, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schwartz/emotions-properly-trained-and-modulated-aristotle-told-his-readers/) [Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) > [“When asked about what they regret most in the last six months, people tend to identify actions that didn’t meet expectations. But when asked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schwartz/when-asked-about-what-they-regret-most-in-the-last-six-months-people/) [Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) > [“If society asks more of us, and arranges its social institutions appropriately, it will get more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schwartz/if-society-asks-more-of-us-and-arranges-its-social-institutions/) [Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) > [Years of research in psychology has shown that rewards and punishments can be very effective in changing behavior. 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Psychologists have known this for years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schwartz/too-little-attention-is-paid-to-the-dark-side-of-incentives-they-are/) [Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) > [“Focus on what makes you happy, and do what gives meaning to your life”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schwartz/focus-on-what-makes-you-happy-and-do-what-gives-meaning-to-your-life/) [Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) > [How much does it really matter whether your child will soon be enjoying a first year at Harvard or Yale or will instead end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schwartz/how-much-does-it-really-matter-whether-your-child-will-soon-be/) [Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) > [What I look for in any book is an argument, based on evidence, that changes the way I think about something important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schwartz/what-i-look-for-in-any-book-is-an-argument-based-on-evidence-that/) [Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) > [“Happiness as a goal is a recipe for disaster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schwartz/happiness-as-a-goal-is-a-recipe-for-disaster/) [Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) > [I start with an idea that is no more than a paragraph long, and expand it slowly into an outline. But I'm always surprised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schwartz/i-start-with-an-idea-that-is-no-more-than-a-paragraph-long-and-expand/) [Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) > [“to be satisfied with our work, we typically need a belief in the purpose of what we do. Amy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schwartz/to-be-satisfied-with-our-work-we-typically-need-a-belief-in-the/) [Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) [Explore all 32 Barry Schwartz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) ## More Compassion quotes > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“I fight with love and kindness as my weapons and compassion as my defense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/i-fight-with-love-and-kindness-as-my-weapons-and-compassion-as-my/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. 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That's how we'll make the move, to reform from rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/helpers-in-every-corner-helpers-in-every-hood-that-s-how-we-ll-make/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [May the gods have mercy on whoever pisses them off, because Zarek and Jericho will have none for them. 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Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“la ilaha ilallah muhammadun rasulullah, alaihi salatullah wa alihi wal ahibba "shine your mercy like the sun, and be gracious as the earth let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-al-habib/la-ilaha-ilallah-muhammadun-rasulullah-alaihi-salatullah-wa-alihi-wal/) Talib al Habib > [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) [Browse all 9,892 Compassion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Most of us think about empathy as a “feeling” or an “emotion.” It is. 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