Empathy and compassion
Also: empathy, compassion, sympathy
Background and evolution
Empathy is a modern word, entering English in the early twentieth century as a translation of the German "Einfühlung", "feeling into". The idea is much older. Adam Smith, in "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" (1759), described how we imagine ourselves in another's situation and so share their feelings. Indian traditions speak of karuna, compassion, as one of the four "brahmaviharas" in Buddhist thought, alongside loving-kindness, sympathetic joy and equanimity. Jainism's ahimsa and the Sikh ideal of seva both rest on recognising others' suffering as one's own concern.
Psychologists distinguish cognitive empathy (understanding what another person thinks and feels), emotional empathy (actually feeling something of their emotion) and compassionate empathy (being moved to help). Researchers also warn of "empathy fatigue" or burnout among doctors, nurses, social workers and officials who face suffering every day, and suggest that compassion, which includes care with some emotional distance, is more sustainable than raw emotional sharing.
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Last reviewed: 23 October 2026 · Original UPSCPrep.in content.