Many people wonder about the difference between the words "empathy" and "apathy." Merriam-Webster defines empathy, in part, as "the action of understanding, being aware of and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another." It defines apathy as a "lack of feeling or emotion."
If someone were watching a news program about a drought in another country, empathy .
would be that person wondering how he would cope in that situation. If he felt empathy, he might say, "I would feel so helpless in that situation. Those people must feel very afraid."
If someone were watching a news program about the new bus schedule in her city, she might feel apathy if she owns a car. She might say, "I'm not concerned one way or the other about the new bus schedule. I drive everywhere I need to go."
The two words sound similar, but they have very different meanings.
More Reference Links: http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/empathy http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apathy
