When someone is going through a difficult time, you have two ways to approach their pain: with pity or with empathy. How you perceive their struggle ultimately shapes your actions toward them. At first glance, pity and empathy may seem similar. Both stem from a desire to care, and both feel like natural responses to someone else’s suffering. Both are valid emotions. However, when you examine them closely, a significant difference becomes clear. Pity occurs when you see someone’s pain as if it defines them permanently. You view their situation as hopeless, imagining that they won’t rise above it. In pity, you may feel the urge to shield them from…