To be in one’s own heart in kindly sympathy with all things; this is the nature of righteousness
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
We pity in others only the those evils which we ourselves have experienced.
—Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78) Swiss-born French Philosopher
And with the morn those angel faces smile
Which I have loved long since and lost awhile.
—John Henry Newman (1801–90) British Theologian, Poet
With a soul that ever felt the sting of sorrow, sorrow is a sacred thing.
—William Cowper (1731–1800) English Anglican Poet, Hymn writer
Sympathy constitutes friendship; but in love there is a sort of antipathy, or opposing passion. Each strives to be the other, and both together make up one whole.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) English Poet, Literary Critic, Philosopher
Pity and friendship are two passions incompatible with each other.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
When Man evolved Pity, he did a queer thing—deprived himself of the power of living life as it is without wishing it to become something different.
—John Galsworthy (1867–1933) English Novelist, Playwright
It is certain my belief gains quite infinitely the very moment I can convince another mind thereof.
—Novalis (1772–1801) German Romantic Poet, Novelist
Self-pity comes so naturally to all of us. The most solid happiness can be shaken by the compassion of a fool.
—Andre Maurois (1885–1967) French Novelist, Biographer
Pity is for the living, envy is for the dead.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Sympathy wanting, all is wanting.—Personal magnetism is the conductor of the sacred spark that puts us in human communion, and gives us to company, conversation, and ourselves.
—Amos Bronson Alcott (1799–1888) American Teacher, Writer, Philosopher
Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality.
—Emily Dickinson (1830–86) American Poet
There is nothing sweeter than to be sympathized with.
—George Santayana (1863–1952) Spanish-American Poet, Philosopher
Open your hearts to sympathy, but close them to despondency. The flower which opens to receive the light of day shuts against rain.
—James Beattie
Man’s thoughts and ways shall always be in contact and sympathy with his fellow men.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
Sympathy is a supporting atmosphere, and in it we unfold easily and well.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Good-night! good-night! as we so oft have said
Beneath this roof at midnight, in the days
That are no more, and shall no more return.
Thou hast but taken up thy lamp and gone to bed;
I stay a little longer, as one stays
To cover up the embers that still burn.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
The secrets of life are not shown except to sympathy and likeness
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
His morality is all sympathy, just what morality should be
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
No man needs sympathy because he has to work. Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Explorer
It is the will of God and Nature that these mortal bodies be laid aside, when the soul is to enter into real life; ’tis rather an embrio state, a preparation for living; a man is not completely born until he be dead: Why then should we grieve that a new child is born among the immortals?
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Next to love, sympathy is the divinest passion of the human heart.
—Edmund Burke (1729–97) British Philosopher, Statesman
God put self-pity by the side of despair like the cure by the side of the disease.
—Albert Camus (1913–60) Algerian-born French Philosopher, Dramatist, Essayist, Novelist, Author
Sympathy has to be the first and foremost thing in one’s life, sympathy and the feeling of oneness. There cannot be anything greater than the feeling of oneness.
—Sri Chinmoy (1931–2007) Indian Yoga Teacher
To what is a man likened, who consoles with his neighbor twelve months after his bereavement by death? He is like a surgeon, asking a man who had once broken his leg to let him break it again and heal it, that he may show him what excellent mendicaments he has.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
When he shall die
Take him and cut him out in little stars
And he will make the face of heav’n so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
The capacity to give one’s attention to a sufferer is a very rare and difficult thing; it is almost a miracle; it is a miracle. Nearly all those who think they have this capacity do not possess it. Warmth of heart, impulsiveness, pity are not enough.
—Simone Weil (1909–1943) French Philosopher, Political Activist
One of the greatest of all mental pleasures is to have our thoughts often divined; ever entered into with sympathy.
—Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802–38) English Poet, Novelist
He kept at true good humour’s mark
The social flow of pleasure’s tide:
He never made a brow look dark,
Nor caused a tear, but when he died.
—Thomas Love Peacock (1785–1866) English Satirist, Novelist, Author
Our sympathy is cold to the relation of distant misery.
—Edward Gibbon (1737–94) English Historian, Politician
The world has no sympathy with any but positive griefs; it will pity you for what you lose, but never for what you lack.
—Sophie Swetchine (1782–1857) Russian Mystic, Writer
Humane sentiments are baseless, mad, and improper; they are incredibly feeble; never do they withstand the gainsaying passions, never do they resist bare necessity.
—Marquis de Sade (1740–1814) French Political leader, Revolutionary, Novelist, Poet, Critic
It is the eternal truth in the political as well as the mystical body, that, where one members suffers, all the members suffer with it.
—Junius Unidentified English Writer
It may, indeed, be said that sympathy exists in all minds, as Faraday has discovered that magnetism exists in all metals; but a certain temperature is required to develop the hidden property, whether in the metal or the mind.
—Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (1803–73) British Novelist, Poet, Politician
All sympathy not consistent with acknowledged virtue is but disguised selfishness.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) English Poet, Literary Critic, Philosopher
Our sympathy is never very deep unless founded on our own feelings. We pity, but do not enter into the grief which we have never felt.
—Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802–38) English Poet, Novelist
Sympathizing and selfish people are alike, both given to tears.
—Leigh Hunt (1784–1859) British Poet, Essayist, Journalist
Sympathy is the first condition of criticism.
—Henri Frederic Amiel (1821–81) Swiss Moral Philosopher, Poet, Critic
The people that I care about are the people out there on the street. I can identify with them.
—Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–97) English Royal, Humanitarian, Peace Activist
And whoever walks a furlong without sympathy walks to his own funeral drest in his shroud.
—Walt Whitman (1819–92) American Poet, Essayist, Journalist, American, Poet, Essayist, Journalist
Sympathy for victims is always counter-balanced by an equal and opposite feeling of resentment towards them.
—Ben Elton (b.1959) English Comedian, Writer
For some moments in life there are no words.
—David Seltzer (b.1940) American Screenwriter, Film Producer, Film Director
From the voiceless lips of the unreplying dead there comes no word, but in the night of death hope sees a star and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing.
—Robert G. Ingersoll (1833–99) American Lawyer, Orator, Agnostic
Nobody can tell what I suffer! But it is always so. Those who do not complain are never pitied.
—Jane Austen (1775–1817) English Novelist
The more sympathy you give, the less you need.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
A human life is a story told by God.
—Hans Christian Andersen (1805–75) Danish Author, Poet, Short Story Writer
Public feeling now is apt to side with the persecuted, and our modern martyr is full as likely to be smothered with roses as with coals.
—Edwin Hubbell Chapin (1814–80) American Preacher, Poet
No radiant pearl, which crested fortune wears, no gem, that twinkling hangs from beauty’s ears; not the bright stars, which night’s blue arch adorn; nor rising sun, that gilds the vernal morn; shine with such lustre as the tear that flows down virtue’s manly cheek for others’ woes.
—Charles Darwin (1809–82) English Naturalist
He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent, nay, more present than the living man.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900–44) French Novelist, Aviator
If tears could build a stairway,
And memories a lane,
I’d walk right up to Heaven
And bring you home again.
—Unknown