Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others.
It helps connect us, heal wounds, and build a sense of community.
Here are 101 empathy quotes to inspire kindness, understanding, and compassion in your life.
Best Empathy Quotes
“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.” – Mohsin Hamid
“You can only understand people if you feel them in yourself.” – John Steinbeck
“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.” – Alfred Adler
“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?” – Henry David Thoreau
“Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.” – Dalai Lama
“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus for creating change.” – Max Carver
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” – Simon Sinek
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” – Epictetus
“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.” – Meryl Streep
“Empathy is the bridge that connects hearts.” – Unknown
“There is no small act of kindness. Every compassionate act makes a difference.” – Unknown
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Ian Maclaren
“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.” – Steve Maraboli
“Empathy is like a universal language that the heart understands.” – Unknown
“Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors.” – Fred Rogers
“An open heart is an open mind.” – Dalai Lama
“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.” – Carl Rogers
“Understanding another person’s experience doesn’t mean you’ve lived their life; it means you’ve learned to care about their perspective.” – Unknown
“Empathy is not just listening, it’s asking the questions whose answers need to be listened to.” – Unknown
“To truly understand another, you must walk a mile in their shoes.” – Native American Proverb
“Empathy is about standing in someone else’s shoes, feeling with their heart, seeing with their eyes.” – Daniel H. Pink
“Kindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle.” – Charles Glassman
“Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable.” – David W. Augsburger
“Empathy is the greatest virtue. From it, all virtues flow. Without it, all virtues are an act.” – Eric Zorn
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” – Ernest Hemingway
“Empathy is the medicine the world needs.” – Unknown
“Sometimes all someone needs is for you to simply be there.” – Unknown
“Empathy is the mother of invention.” – Unknown
“We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are.” – Anaïs Nin
“Empathy grows as we learn.” – Alice Miller
“One person’s pain is not less real because you cannot feel it.” – Unknown
“The beauty of empathy is that it doesn’t require that you experience someone else’s struggles, only that you care enough to try.” – Unknown
“The highest form of knowledge is empathy.” – Bill Bullard
“Empathy is about finding those quiet moments where your heart and someone else’s can connect.” – Unknown
“Nothing in life is more beautiful than seeing someone smile because of you.” – Unknown
“Listening is an act of love.” – Unknown
“Empathy makes us human.” – Unknown
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” – Unknown
“Empathy doesn’t require words, only a willingness to feel.” – Unknown
“Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody.” – Unknown
“The softest hearts often carry the greatest strength.” – Unknown
“It’s not about fixing; it’s about feeling.” – Unknown
“Empathy isn’t about agreeing. It’s about understanding.” – Unknown
“Sometimes we just need to hear, ‘I understand.’” – Unknown
“Empathy fuels connection.” – Brené Brown
“A little empathy can go a long way.” – Unknown
“The world needs more understanding and less judgment.” – Unknown
“Empathy is about being open to the idea that you might not have all the answers.” – Unknown
“Every act of empathy plants a seed for a better world.” – Unknown
“The simplest way to show empathy is to listen without interrupting.” – Unknown
“Compassion is the foundation of a kind society.” – Unknown
“Empathy isn’t just about emotions; it’s about actions.” – Unknown
“True empathy requires that you step outside your own emotions to view things entirely from the perspective of the other person.” – Unknown
“The hardest thing to do is to understand why someone else is hurting when you’re not.” – Unknown
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” – Mother Teresa
“Empathy is a gift, not a weakness.” – Unknown
“Sometimes, just being there is enough.” – Unknown
“We rise by lifting others.” – Robert Ingersoll
“The smallest act of caring has the potential to turn a life around.” – Unknown
“Empathy is an art of imagination.” – Unknown
“Life is short; be kind.” – Unknown
“Empathy is about being humble enough to admit you might not understand and wise enough to want to.” – Unknown
“Be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people.” – Unknown
“Empathy is not a state; it’s a choice.” – Unknown
“To listen is to learn.” – Unknown
“Empathy is like a mirror; it reflects humanity back to itself.” – Unknown
“Never underestimate the power of feeling seen and heard.” – Unknown
“The heart that breaks for others beats with purpose.” – Unknown
“It costs nothing to be kind.” – Unknown
“Empathy is like a muscle; the more you use it, the stronger it gets.” – Unknown
“Sometimes the greatest gift you can give is your time.” – Unknown
“Empathy doesn’t solve problems, but it helps carry the load.” – Unknown
“People won’t remember what you said, but they’ll remember how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
“To love someone is to understand their struggles without judgment.” – Unknown
“Empathy is the foundation for peace.” – Unknown
“It takes courage to feel someone else’s pain.” – Unknown
“Empathy connects what judgment divides.” – Unknown
“The only way to truly help others is to understand them first.” – Unknown
“Kindness is the universal language of the heart.” – Unknown
“Empathy is the antidote to indifference.” – Unknown
“To care is to understand.” – Unknown
“A compassionate heart is a brave heart.” – Unknown
“Empathy is not about fixing; it’s about embracing.” – Unknown
“The greatest distance in the world is the space between two people who refuse to listen.” – Unknown
“Empathy doesn’t just change others; it changes you too.” – Unknown
“A world without empathy is a world without connection.” – Unknown
“To be empathetic is to be courageous enough to care.” – Unknown
“Understanding is the first step to healing.” – Unknown
“The power of empathy lies in its simplicity.” – Unknown
“Empathy doesn’t take much effort, just a little heart.” – Unknown
“Listening is the first step to truly understanding someone’s story.” – Unknown
“When we listen, we heal.” – Unknown
“Empathy doesn’t make the world perfect, but it makes it bearable.” – Unknown
“Every act of kindness starts with a spark of empathy.” – Unknown
“Sometimes, a quiet presence says more than words ever could.” – Unknown
