Some people are born with a greater than normal capacity for empathy.
They can sense what others around them are feeling.
They can even pick up on things during phone conversations or from text messages.
It’s a gift.
But that doesn’t mean it’s an easy one to live with.
If you’re not empathic by nature, sometimes it takes an effort to put yourself in other people’s shoes and understand what they’re feeling.
But it’s something you can learn.
That’s where this list of quotes about empaths comes in.
49 Empath Quotes to Inspire More Sensitivity
Maybe you’re an empath learning how to make the most of your gift without drowning in it.
Or maybe you’re someone who’d like to be more empathetic and understanding,
In either case, the following quotes can help you put things in perspective.
1. “Empaths did not come into this world to be victims, we came to be warriors. Be brave. Stay strong. We need all hands on deck.” – Anthon St. Maarten
2. “Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.” – Mohsin Hamid
3. “Empathy is one of our greatest tools of business that is most underused”. – Daniel Lubetzky
4. “The struggle of my life created empathy – I could relate to pain, being abandoned, having people not love me.” – Oprah Winfrey
5. “The loving parts of your personality have no trouble loving. That is all they do. You experience the loving parts of as gratitude, appreciation, caring, patience, contentment and awe of life.” – Gary Zukav
6. “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
7. “This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” – Dalai Lama
8. “It’s also selfish because it makes you feel good when you help others. I’ve been helped by acts of kindness from strangers. That’s why we’re here, after all, to help others.” – Carol Burnett
9. “I believe empathy is the most essential quality of civilization.” – Roger Ebert
10. “Empaths don’t act fake. They get quiet.” – Jane Lightworker
11. “All empaths can feel if someone is genuine or not. Unaware empaths often disregard the red flags. Empowered empaths listen to their intuition right away.” – Jane Lightworker
12. “Being an empath is a huge asset when you learn to manage it.” –Judith Ofloff
13. “Some people are far more cognizant than others but sensitivity has its own cross to bear and ample insight, in many cases, can bring on disquietude.” ― Donna Lynn Hope
14. “Emotional empathy is what motivates us to help others. “-Brian Goldman
15. “We can influence a person and actually change a person’s thinking by the words we use. We can show kindness and empathy by the phrases we use and the actions we take.” Catherine Pulsifer
16. “Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing.” – Marshall B. Rosenberg
17. “There’s nothing that inspires that deep sense of belonging like shared empathy!” –Brene Brown
18. “Empathy means both understanding others on their own terms and bringing them within the orbit of one’s own experience.” – Jacob A. Belzen
19. “Empathy is connection; it’s a ladder out of the shame hole” – Brené Brown
20. “The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.” – Meryl Streep
21. “If it is not tempered by compassion, and empathy, reason can lead men and women into a moral void.” – Karen Armstrong
22. “Empathy represents the foundation skill for all the social competencies important for work.” – Daniel Goleman
23. “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” -Albert Einstein
24. “I want us to organize, to tell the personal stories that create empathy, which is the most revolutionary emotion.“ — Gloria Steinem
25. “I know a beautiful soul when I feel one. The empath in me honors the authentic in you.” ― Melody Lee
26. “Because of their sacred gift of translating and embodying energy, empaths are able to spot their soul mates or twin flames a mile away.” ― Aletheia Luna
27. “As empaths, we are not here to be sponges or enablers. We are here to be helpers, guides, and supporters.” – Aletheia Luna
28. “The empath helps others by absorbing some of their pain, but who helps the empath?” ― Donna Lynn Hope
29. “As empaths, one of the quickest ways to completely losing our grounding in reality is by deferring our needs and wants in relationships.” ― Mateo Sol
30. “You will never say goodbye to the past, until you understand why the flashbacks haunt you.” ― Shannon L. Alder
31. “I understand now that I’m not a mess but a deeply feeling person in a messy world. I explain that now, when someone asks me why I cry so often, “For the same reason I laugh so often – because I’m paying attention.” – Glennon Doyle Melton
32. “All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.” — Tahereh Mafi
33. “I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person.” — Walt Whitman
34. “We empaths have many marvelous traits. We have huge hearts and the instinct to help others in need or who are less fortunate.”― Judith Orloff
35. “Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?”― Henry David Thoreau
36. “Derived from the Greek word “em” (in) and “pathos” (feeling), the term “empath” refers to a person who is able to “feel into” the feelings of others.” – Mateo Sol
37. “Speaking the truth is often a struggle for an Empath. The last thing they want to do is cause pain or conflict for others.” – Judi Eisner
38. “One of the greatest advantages of being an empath is that experiencing a spiritual awakening is virtually inevitable. In other words, spiritually awakening seems to be written into our DNA.” – Aletheia Luna
39. “Being an empath is like seeing with the soul.” – Dean Koontz
40. “Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.” – Alfred Adler
41. “Empaths travel the path of the heart. They are driven by the desire for transcendental love, connection, passion, and service to others.” – Sherrie Dillard
42. “When you’re deeply sensitive, love is ecstasy. Music is godlike. Heartache is a wide, somatic wound. Visual natural beauty is jewel-drenched, wild bliss. Tension and conflict are muscle tightening and toxic, straight down to the cells.” – Victoria Erickson
43. “You cannot make everyone think and feel as deeply as you do. This is your tragedy as an empath. Because you understand them, but they do not understand you.” – Daniel Saint
44. “If we could look into each other’s heart and understand the unique challenge s each of us faces, I think we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, patience, tolerance, and care.” – Marvin J. Ashton
45. “Be kinder to yourself, and then let your kindness flood the world.” – Pema Chodron
46. “Never apologize for being sensitive or emotional. Let this be a sign that you’ve got a big heart and aren’t afraid to let others see it. Showing your emotions is a sign of strength.” – Brigitte Nicole
47. “The opposite of anger is not calmness. It’s empathy.” – Mehmet Oz
48. “If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours.” – Dolly Parton
49. “When you start to develop your powers of empathy and imagination, the whole world opens up to you.” — Susan Sarandon
These “being an empath” quotes can enhance empathy.
Now that you’ve looked through these 49 empath quotes, which ones stood out for you? Which felt familiar, either because they hit home or because they reminded you of someone you know?
Whatever your relationship goals, empathy and self-care go hand-in-hand. You can’t be someone else’s rock if you don’t make time to fortify yourself. Everyone needs time for themselves.
