Empathic v. Empathetic

Or: Understanding the difference between ability and application

Empathic and empathetic are not synonyms. Hear me out… 

For years, as I’ve moved within the spiritual and wellness industry, I have heard people use these two words as synonyms, and it’s always ruffled my feathers. I’ve also heard well-known thought leaders and bestselling writers state that they are interchangeable. But that’s simply not true. At least not from my perspective.

In all my years of working with people and studying human behavior, I can very definitely state that empathic and empathetic are not synonyms. They are, however, related. Here is a very simple definition to help you understand why it’s important to separate these two words: