The (Enticing) Empathic Page:
Hey! The word is EMPATHIC; it is not empathetic! That's it! End of story!
I'm
just guessing, here, but I think what happens is that people confuse
the prononciation of empathy/empathic with apathy/apathetic.
I
guess that's what happened. And though I am naturally disposed to a
kindly, inclusive temperment, this is one screw up that I really,
really hate for some reason.
I even saw "empathetic" in the New Yorker! Yuck!
Mary Fepernoogle has a great deal of empathy. She is an empathic sort of gal!
Won't you please join me? Together we can stamp out this attrocious stain on our great culture! Here's how:
- Never say or write
empathetic when you mean empathic!
- Never let your friends, lovers, live in partners or family members get away with saying or writing
empathetic when they mean empathic. A simple slap in the face will usually get their attention.
- Write your congressman (if he can read), demanding impeachment for any legislative guy using
empathetic instead of empathic.
Ok, ok. So I'm being a tad dogmatic here. It's my program! Since there exist a couple of dictionaries (ie American but not Webster's Collegiate) that allow for "empathetic" (choke), and since I have elsewhere declared in this program that language does and should evolve, I'll have to let it slide.
You might enjoy Googling "empathetic" to see what the Net in general thinks.
And, most assuredly, see the quote from my friend, Charles Murray in the comments section below. While you're there, put in your own thoughts.
To return to Step Two, click: HERE
