EMPATHY is NOT SYMPATHY.

Sympathy = "Aw poor you."

Empathy = "Hey man, I get what you're going through. It sucks."

If you want to feel more connected to other people in your life, empathy is key.

But it's not gonna be easy. You've got to get over your own ego and judgement to truly put yourself in someone else's shoes. It's listening to understand, not listening to reply.