Quote

Sympathy is one of the principles most widely rooted in our nature: we rejoice to see ourselves reflected in another; and, perversely enough, we sometimes have a secret pleasure in seeing the sin which dwells in ourselves existing under a deformed and monstrous aspect in another.

I don't care about sympathy. I care about playing a character who's understandable and clear.

All sympathy not consistent with acknowledged virtue is but disguised selfishness.

Sympathy is two hearts tugging at one load.

A prerequisite to empathy is simply paying attention to the person in pain.

Sympathy constitutes friendship; but in love there is a sort of antipathy, or opposing passion. Each strives to be the other, and both together make up one whole.

You can relate to somebody's pain and you have compassion, which can lead to intimacy.

But my experience is that people who have been through painful, difficult times are filled with compassion.

I don't really distinguish between sympathy and honesty when I'm writing. The two go together - I'm interested in inhabiting my characters, seeing the world through their eyes.

Compassion doesn't, of course, mean feeling sorry for people, or pity, which is how the word has become emasculated in a way.