sympathy v. empathy

Sympathy is feeling for someone; empathy is feeling with someone. When you sympathize with someone, you recognize her emotions. Offering condolences at the death of a loved one is a form of sympathy. Empathy arises when you actually experience and share in another’s emotions. If you’ve just performed for an audience and the next act up expresses anxiety, you can empathize.

wiseGEEK on sympathy v. empathy