Don't Feel Bad
Empathy is the ability to understand, share, and respond to the feelings and experiences of another person by seeing things from their perspective.Charlie Kirk once said, "I can't stand the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made-up, new age term that — it does a lot of damage."
Okay, then don't feel bad.
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The origin of the word empathy dates back to the 1880s, when German psychologist Theodore Lipps coined the term “einfuhlung” (literally, “in-feeling”) to describe the emotional appreciation of another’s feelings.
The word "empathy" comes from the Ancient Greek word empatheia, meaning "passion" or "feeling".
While the exact word "empathy" doesn't appear in the Bible, the concept is present and strongly encouraged through actions and descriptions of compassion and shared feelings, such as Romans 12:15 ("rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn"
and Hebrews 4:15 ("a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses" . God, Jesus, and biblical teachings consistently demonstrate and call for understanding, sharing, and acting on the feelings and suffering of others, with compassion often presented as the biblical virtue that incorporates empathy.
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