Empathy vs Sympathy

Last week we discussed in class the difference between empathy and sympathy. And then I realized "snap...I used the wrong word on the blog post a couple weeks ago" Pardon me for the misuse of the word when I said "Sympathy is the key", I actually mean "empathy is the key".

sympathy |ˈsimpəθē|noun ( pl. -thies)1 feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune
empathy |ˈempəθē|nounthe ability to understand and share the feelings of another.