Meaningful human interaction requires empathy, the ability to understand and share another's feelings. It promotes genuine connections, compassion, and social cohesion. Sympathy involves acknowledging another's hardships from your perspective, often leading to pity rather than a shared emotional experience. The difference between empathy and sympathy is key. Sympathy makes you a compassionate observer, but empathy immerses you in another's experience, deepening understanding and connection. Sympathy disconnects, but empathy connects.

Increased social isolation, digital dependence, and...