I can’t stand the word 'empathy', actually. I think 'empathy' is a made-up, new-age term, and it does a lot of damage. I much prefer the word 'compassion', and I much prefer the word 'sympathy'. Empathy is where you try to feel someone’s pain and sorrows as if they’re your own. Compassion allows for understanding. I prefer the word 'sympathy', because politics has weaponized empathy.
Source: tatoeba (13553742)