Thewordempathy(认同)issocommonlyusednowadays.Butwhatisempathy?Theoriginofthewordempathy(1)[dates]backtothe1880s,whenaGermanpsychologist(2)[coined]thetermmeaning"in-feeling"todescribetheemotional(3)[appreciation]ofanother'sfeelings.Empathyhasfurtherbeendescribedasthe(4)[process]ofunderstandingaperson's(5)[subjective]experiencebyvicariously(间接地)sharingthatexperiencewhile(6)[maintaining]anobservantposition.Evenmoresimplystated,empathyistheabilityto"putoneselfinanother'sshoes"andforphysicians,empathy(7)[expands]understandingofthepatientbeyondthehistoryandsymptomstoinclude(8)——,ideas,andfeelings.

　　However,wemayproposeasubtlebutimportantdistinctionbetweenempathyandsympathy.(9)[Whereasempathyisusedbyskilledclinicianstoenhancecommunicationanddeliveryofcare],sympathycanbeburdensomeandharmful,evenleadingtoburnout.Sympathyimpliesfeelingssharedwiththesuffererasifthepainbelongedtobothpersons:(10)[Wesympathizewithotherhumanbeingswhenweshareandsufferwiththem].Itwouldstandtoreason,therefore,thatcompletelysharedsufferingcanneverexistbetweenaphysicianandapatient;otherwise,thephysicianwouldsharethepatient'splightandwouldthereforebeunabletohelp.(11)[Inempathy,we"borrow"another'sfeelingstoobserve,feel,andunderstandthem--butnottotakethemontoourselves].Bybeingaparticipant-observer,wecometounderstandhowtheotherpersonfeels.