What all three words have in common based on the root is feeling,
The Greek root word path can mean either “feeling” or “disease.”
The root word path meaning “feeling.” refers to the fact that, if you have sympathy for another person, you “feel” with her. Therefore, a sympathetic person can “feel” with another, but may not necessarily have experienced the same emotions herself. Empathy consists of mutually shared “feelings.” So that, if you are an empathic or empathetic person, you “feel” and thus identify with another person’s woes since you have experienced similar “feelings” yourself. Apathy refers to the lack of “feeling” altogether. An apathetic person does not care about the “feelings” of another suffering human being.
