04/15/2026
Empathy vs. empath… they may sound similar, but they’re not quite the same 🤍
If you’ve ever wondered what sets them apart, this is a great read to dive a little deeper.
Empathetic vs empath
April 9, 2026
These words are closely related, but they describe different levels of emotional experience.
Being empathetic is where a person shows an ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
Being an empath is a more intense state where a person feels they “absorb” others emotions as their own.
I would consider myself as an empath when I was younger. Back then, I would watch the news or hear a sad or upsetting story and immediately take on the pain that I thought the person was feeling. I wouldn’t even have to know the person that was going through a bad time and I would feel their pain. My response was magnified when I knew the person. To add to it, I was a “fixer” so not only did I take on other’s pain, I would try to fix it too.
How do you think that was working for me? The answer is, not very well.
Below is a description of the differences that I found on the web
Feature Empathetic Person vs Empath
CORE EXPERIENCE: Empathetic Person - Understanding someone’s pain from their perspective. Empath - Feeling the physical or emotional pain as if it were your own.
BOUNDRIES: Empathetic Person - Can usually maintain a clear line between their own emotions and others’. Empath - Often struggles to distinguish their own feelings from the “noise” of those around them.
CONTROL: Empathetic Person - Empathy is a skill that can be developed or “turned on” intentionally.
Empath - Sensitivity is often involuntary and can be hard to “turn off”.
OVERWHELM: Empathetic Person -May feel sad for someone, but is rarely physically drained by it.
Empath - Frequently experiences sensory overload in crowds or high-emotion environments.
Making the change to an empathetic person instead of an empath was a process. Being empathetic didn’t mean that I didn’t care, or that I was insensitive to others, it meant that I was choosing a healthier way of being, but I had to believe that. The pattern of being an empath had been there for a long time.
I realized that my worry and concern over someone else’s hardship was actually hindering me from being a better friend or support to them. How can I be there for someone when I’m taking on their struggles? I ultimately had to understand what was mine and what wasn’t. I gained awareness of how involved I was getting in situations that didn’t pertain to me. The bonus in all of this is that I was no longer feeling drained and overly emotional over someone else’s situation. Again, this didn’t mean that I didn’t care, it meant that I could show up authentically for those in need without inserting my emotions where they didn’t belong.
My biggest take away in the process was when I understood that not every problem was mine to take on and fix. It always comes back to self and understanding that I can only fix myself, no one else. When I finally figured that out, I felt lighter and less stressed. It was a nice “job” to resign from and I wondered why I accepted the job in the first place.
Occasionally, I will start to slip into the empath roll, but now I have awareness with myself and I can reframe it by asking myself these questions. How does this situation pertain to me? How can I truly support my friend in this situation?
I encourage you to take a look at the list above and see where you fit in. If you are an empath, you can make the change to being empathetic, if you want to.
Being empathetic in the flow,
Deb
