WHAT IS SYMPATHEIA?

Sympatheia (from the Greek συμπάθεια pronounced ˈsim-pə-the-ya')

Sympatheia is the Stoic philosophical idea that “all things are interwoven with each other and therefore have an affinity for each other” (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.38).​  In Stoic philosophy, it is believed that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves, breathe the same air, and want the same thing, no matter where we come from in this world.

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Even though Stoicism has been around for centuries, its therapeutic benefits and practices were ignored until the 20th century when psychotherapists began to research new methods to address the ways in which our psyche and mental health are impacted by how we interpret external events. Epictetus, a Greek-born slave of the Romans in the first century, would say that, “what really frightens and dismays us is not external events themselves, but the way in which we think about them. It is not things that disturb us, but our interpretation of their significance.”

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Influenced by Stoic philosophy concepts and teachings, Aaron Beck developed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in the 1960s. This approach to psychotherapy posits that many emotional and mental problems are the results of negative/unhelpful thoughts, which can be rationally disputed.

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