What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Empathy vs Overcompensation - What's the difference?

empathy | overcompensation |

As nouns the difference between empathy and overcompensation

is that empathy is the intellectual identification of the thoughts, feelings, or state of another person while overcompensation is an excess amount provided in one area in an effort to overcome a perceived lack in another area.

empathy

English

Noun

(wikipedia empathy)
  • the intellectual identification of the thoughts, feelings, or state of another person
  • capacity to understand another person's point of view or the result of such understanding
    • She had a lot of empathy for her neighbor; she knew what it was like to lose a parent too.
  • (parapsychology, science fiction) a paranormal ability to psychically read another person's emotions

    • Usage notes

    Used similarly to sympathy, interchangeably in looser usage. In stricter usage, empathy is stronger and more intimate, meaning that the subject understands and shares an emotion with the object – as in “I feel your pain” – while (term) is weaker and more distant – concern, but not shared emotion: “I care for you”.

    overcompensation

    English

    Noun

  • An excess amount provided in one area in an effort to overcome a perceived lack in another area.
  • Excessive pay or reward provided for work performed.

    • Related terms

    * overcompensate * overcompensatory