Empathy is the thread that weaves through the fabric of human connection. It allows us to step into another person’s shoes and understand their joys and sorrows. When words fail, empathy speaks volumes.
In this article, we’ve gathered the best quotes on empathy to inspire and remind us of its power. These quotes offer wisdom and insight, encouraging us to foster deeper connections with those around us.
Understanding Empathy Quotes
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
“We think we listen, but very rarely do we listen with real understanding, true empathy. Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the most potent forces for change that I know.”
“I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person.”
“It is the weak who are cruel. Gentleness can only be expected from the strong.”
“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.”
“One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.”
“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.”
“No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
“The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world.”
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.”
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
“The most powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen.”
“The only thing more exhausting than having a mental illness is pretending like you don’t.”
“Sometimes it’s the little things, the simple acts of kindness, that make the biggest difference.”
“You can only understand people if you feel them in yourself.”
“To be empathic is to extend one’s hand, heart, and mind to the experiences and feelings of others.”
“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.”
“Empathy is the art of stepping outside yourself and seeing the world as other people do.”
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
“We rise by lifting others.”
“The best way to understand others is to consider their stories.”
“Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.”
“Empathy represents the foundation skill for all the social competencies important for work.”
“An empathic person may often sense what someone else is experiencing without them having to speak.”
“True empathy requires that you step outside your own emotions to view things entirely from the perspective of the other person.”
“The heart of another is a dark forest, always, no matter how close it has been to one’s own.”
“Empathy heals the soul and brings people closer from across the chasms of life.”
Powerful Empathy Quotes
“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
“We all have two lives. The second one starts when we realize we only have one.”
“When a good man is hurt, all who would be called good must suffer with him.”
“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another.”
“The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world.”
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.”
“Walk a mile in my shoes.”
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus for creating change.”
“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.”
“What we need is a cup of understanding, a barrel of love, and an ocean of patience.”
“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.”
“I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.”
“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?”
“There is no small act of kindness. Every compassionate act makes large the world.”
“The only way to truly understand another person’s life is to listen to their stories.”
“Empathy requires knowing that you know nothing.”
“Empathy is the ability to step outside of your own bubble and into the bubbles of other people.”
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
“Sometimes all a person wants is an empathetic ear; all they need is to talk it out.”
“Empathy is the antidote to shame.”
“We are all different. Don’t judge, understand.”
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”
“I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person.”
“Empathy begins with understanding life from another person’s perspective. Nobody has an objective experience of reality. It’s all through our own individual prisms.”
“Kindness makes you the most beautiful person in the world, no matter what you look like.”
“When you start to develop your powers of empathy and imagination, the whole world opens up to you.”
“Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.”
“The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire with empathy.”
“Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.”
Inspirational Empathy Quotes
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view.”
“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.”
“I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person.”
“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.”
“Walk a mile in my shoes; feel what I feel, say what I say, see what I see, hear what I hear. Then maybe you’ll understand why I do what I do.”
“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.”
“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
“The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world.”
“Empathy is the greatest virtue. From it, all virtues flow. Without it, all virtues are an act.”
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.”
“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.”
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
“No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
“One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.”
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
“An empathic person is a listening person.”
“We think we listen, but very rarely do we listen with real understanding and true empathy. Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the most potent forces for change that I know.”
“The greatest cruelty is our casual blindness to the despair of others.”
“When you start to develop your powers of empathy and imagination, the whole world opens up to you.”
“Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.”
“If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours.”
“I call him religious who understands the suffering of others.”
“We rise by lifting others.”
“The only way to truly help someone is to put yourself in their shoes.”
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”
“What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?”
“The struggle of my life created empathy—I could relate to pain, being abandoned, having people not love me.”
“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.”
“Empathy is like giving someone a psychological hug.”
“Sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.”
Empathy Quotes from Literature
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside his skin and walk around in it.”
“I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person.”
“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.”
“One thing I’ve learned is this: we all want someone to look at us the same way we look at people we love.”
“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?”
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.”
“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.”
“We think we listen, but very rarely do we listen with real understanding, true empathy. Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the most potent forces for change that I know.”
“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another.”
“There is no small act of kindness. Every compassionate act makes large the world.”
“The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world.”
“Empathy is the only human superpower – it can shrink distance, cut through social and power hierarchies, transcend differences, and provoke political and social change.”
“I’m not interested in whether you’ve stood with the great; I’m interested in whether you’ve sat with the broken.”
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
“Some people think only intellect counts: knowing how to solve problems, knowing how to get by, knowing how to identify an advantage and seize it. But the functions of intellect are insufficient without courage, love, friendship, compassion, and empathy.”
“We are all different. Don’t judge, understand instead.”
“Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.”
“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.”
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
“I call him religious who understands the suffering of others.”
“To perceive is to suffer.”
“Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?”
“Anyone who has experienced a certain amount of loss in their life has empathy for those who have experienced loss.”
“Empathy depends not only on one’s ability to identify another person’s emotions but also on one’s capacity to put oneself in the other person’s place and to experience an appropriate emotional response.”
“As empathic beings, all humans have the capacity to resonate with and understand another’s suffering.”
“You can only understand people if you feel them in yourself.”
“The greatest gift you can give someone is your undivided attention.”
“Empathy is the highest form of respect you can pay someone.”
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
“Human beings are wired to care and connect. We are compelled to listen to one another’s stories.”
Famous Peoples Empathy Quotes
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.”
“One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.”
“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone…just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.”
“We think we listen, but very rarely do we listen with real understanding, true empathy.”
“The greatest gift you can give someone is your time. Because when you give your time, you are giving a portion of your life that you will never get back.”
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.”
“I call him religious who understands the suffering of others.”
“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another.”
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
“The only way to truly understand someone is to walk a mile in their shoes.”
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
“To perceive is to suffer.”
“When you show deep empathy toward others, their defensive energy goes down, and positive energy replaces it. That’s when you can get more creative in solving problems.”
“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus for creating change.”
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
“The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world.”
“Empathy is a connection; it’s a ladder out of the shame hole.”
“Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and wrong. Sometime in your life, you will have been all of these.”
“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.”
“Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that who cares? He’s a mile away and you’ve got his shoes!”
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
“Empathy is the greatest virtue. From it, all virtues flow. Without it, all virtues are an act.”
“Empathy is the needle that weaves the fabric of our society.”
“True empathy requires that you step outside your own emotions to view things entirely from the perspective of the other person.”
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”
“Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?”
“Kindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle.”
“Walk with me for a while, my friend—you in my shoes, I in yours—and then let us talk.”
“Empathy is the antidote to shame.”
“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.”
Relationship-focused Empathy Quotes
“You never really understand another person until you consider things from his point of view.”
“Listening is often the only thing needed to help someone.”
“The greatest gift you can give another is the purity of your attention.”
“We are all so desperate to be understood, we forget to be understanding.”
“Hearing is listening to what is said. Listening is hearing what isn’t said.”
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.”
“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.”
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
“The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but reveal to them their own.”
“The strongest relationships are built on a foundation of empathy and understanding.”
“Empathy is the ultimate form of customer service.”
“Sometimes the greatest act of love is to listen.”
“We need empathy to give empathy.”
“Empathy is the bridge to understanding and forgiveness.”
“The best way to understand someone is to listen without a need to reply.”
“One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.”
“Empathy is simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of ‘You’re not alone.'”
“True empathy requires that you step outside your own emotions to view things entirely from the perspective of the other person.”
“To be empathetic is to feel connected to something larger than yourself.”
“An exchange of empathy provides an entry point for a lot of people to see what healing feels like.”
“The greatest way to connect with someone is to understand their perspective and validate their feelings.”
“Walk with me for a while, my friend—you in my shoes, I in yours—and then let us talk.”
“Through empathy, we reveal our humanity.”
“Empathy lies in our ability to be present without opinion.”
“Empathy is the only human superpower. It can shrink distance, cut through social and power hierarchies, transcend class differences, and make the world feel like a smaller, more connected place.”
“Empathy is like a universal solvent. Any problem immersed in empathy becomes soluble.”
“Empathy is connecting with people so we know we’re not alone when we’re in struggle.”
“Empathy can turn strangers into friends.”
“The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world.”
“Empathy nurtures the soul and heart, paving the way for understanding and compassion.”
Empathy Quotes for Kids
“A child’s voice, however honest and true, is beautiful in its simplicity.”
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.”
“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.”
“Children learn empathy by being treated with compassion.”
“When you start to develop your powers of empathy and imagination, the whole world opens up to you.”
“Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors.”
“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.”
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
“Empathy is about stepping into someone else’s shoes, feeling with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes.”
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
“We only have what we give.”
“When you are kind to others, it not only changes you, it changes the world.”
“Empathy grows as we learn.”
“Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege.”
“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.”
“To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already achieved, but at what he aspires to.”
“The world needs more of your kindness.”
“We rise by lifting others.”
“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus for creating change.”
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
“A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.”
“Empathy is the bridge that connects hearts.”
“Carry out random acts of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day, someone might do the same for you.”
“Understanding another person’s pain does not mean you must solve their problem; it means you must understand them and be there for them.”
“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.”
“Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.”
“Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing.”
“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”
“See the light in others, and treat them as if that is all you see.”
“One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.”
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.”
Empathy Quotes for Self-Growth
“The greatest gift you can give another is the purity of your attention.”
“We think we listen, but very rarely do we listen with real understanding, true empathy. Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the most potent forces for change that I know.”
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
“Empathy is the ability to step outside of your own bubble and into the bubbles of other people.”
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eye for an instant?”
“One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.”
“Do not do to others what angers you if done to you by others.”
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.”
“The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self.”
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.”
“Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?”
“Seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.”
“No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
“The only way to change someone’s mind is to connect with them from the heart.”
“Asking the right questions takes as much skill as giving the right answers.”
“Empathy is about standing in someone else’s shoes, feeling with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes.”
“The struggle of my life created empathy – I could relate to pain, being abandoned, having people not love me.”
“When a good man is hurt all who would be called good must suffer with him.”
“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus for creating change.”
“Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.”
“The most important attribute of humanity is not to see where your shoes have walked but to see where the shoes of others walk.”
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.”
“Rather than condemning people, let’s try to understand them. Let’s try to figure out why they do what they do.”
“To empathize with someone’s struggle is to offer him your hand, rather than your judgment.”
“Understanding is a two-way street.”
Final Words
Empathy quotes remind us of the power of understanding and kindness. These quotes help us connect with others, offering comfort and support. They encourage us to see the world through different eyes and to value the feelings of those around us.
Whether you are feeling down or simply want to reflect, these quotes offer wisdom and comfort. Let them inspire you to act with compassion and empathy in your daily life. By understanding and sharing the emotions of others, we can make the world a kinder place.
