Mimpathy (german: Nachfühlen, literally "after experience") is a

philosophical Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

concept related to

empathy Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another's position. Definitions of empathy encompass a broad range of social, co ...

and

sympathy Sympathy is the perception of, understanding of, and reaction to the distress or need of another life form. According to David Hume, this sympathetic concern is driven by a switch in viewpoint from a personal perspective to the perspective of ano ...

. In

Dagobert D. Runes Dagobert David Runes (January 6, 1902 – September 24, 1982) was a philosopher and author. Biography Born in Zastavna, Bukovina, Austro-Hungary (now in Ukraine), Runes emigrated to the United States in 1926. He had received a doctorat ...

' 1942 ''Dictionary of Philosophy'', contributor Herman Hausheer defines mimpathy as the sharing of another's feelings on a matter, without necessarily experiencing feelings of sympathy. Philosopher

Max Scheler Max Ferdinand Scheler (; 22 August 1874 – 19 May 1928) was a German philosopher known for his work in phenomenology, ethics, and philosophical anthropology. Considered in his lifetime one of the most prominent German philosophers,Davis, Zachar ...

describes mimpathy, or "

emotion Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. ...

al imitation", as the basis for sympathy, but of no help in understanding another person in and of itself. Scheler identifies four types of sympathy: #''Compathy'', or emotional solidarity, the immediate sharing of the same emotion with another #Genuine ''sympathy'', in which sorrow is experienced "in an act of understanding experienced as such an act", and the objective source of emotion is not shared #''Transpathy'', or

emotional contagion Emotional contagion is a form of social contagion that involves the spontaneous spread of emotions and related behaviors. Such emotional convergence can happen from one person to another, or in a larger group. Emotions can be shared across individ ...

, a state introduced in a group, "automatic and without understanding", by the emotional display of another #''Unipathy'', or genuine emotional identification with another, an "intensified" and "involuntary" form of transpathy, which may present as a ''

folie à deux Folie à deux ('folly of two', or 'madness haredby two'), also known as shared psychosis or shared delusional disorder (SDD), is a collection of rare psychiatric syndromes in which symptoms of a delusional belief, and sometimes hallucinations, ...

''. Academic Karen E. Smythe, in analyzing the fiction of

Mavis Gallant Mavis Leslie de Trafford Gallant, , née Young (11 August 1922 – 18 February 2014), was a Canadian writer who spent much of her life and career in France. Best known as a short story writer, she also published novels, plays and essays. Pe ...

, described mimpathy as a combination of

mimesis Mimesis (; grc, μίμησις, ''mīmēsis'') is a term used in literary criticism and philosophy that carries a wide range of meanings, including ''imitatio'', imitation, nonsensuous similarity, receptivity, representation, mimicry, the act ...

and

, an acting out of "self-dramas" as a means of interpreting the suffering of literary characters.

References

{{authority control 1942 introductions 1940s neologisms Emotions Interpersonal relationships Virtue Concepts in ethics Empathy

See also

References