As I have said, empathy does not require you to condone what others do or excuse it. It just gives you some understanding of what they are undergoing. With empathy, there can remain a certain sense of separation, where the other person is over there, and from where you are, you recognize what they feel or are experiencing. Subject and object are distinct or even distant. By contrast, compassion brings you closer. Compassion goes deeper than empathy and involves you further.
