It can be a genuine display of empathy, or it could be totally dismissive. My point is that saying “sorry” doesn’t need to be an admission of guilt, but it does need to show that you care about the other person’s feelings.
I am forced to disagree with the first point of your assessment.
empathy
[em-puh-thee]
Phonetic (Standard)IPA
noun
the psychological identification with or vicarious experiencing of the emotions, thoughts, or attitudes of another.
Even if someone were actually sorry about how another person feels, that is very different from psychological identification with how the other person feels, or vicariously experiencing what the other person feels. At best, “I’m sorry you feel that way” is an expression of pity and/or condescension.
It can be a genuine display of empathy, or it could be totally dismissive. My point is that saying “sorry” doesn’t need to be an admission of guilt, but it does need to show that you care about the other person’s feelings.
I am forced to disagree with the first point of your assessment.
empathy
[em-puh-thee]
Phonetic (Standard)IPA
noun
Even if someone were actually sorry about how another person feels, that is very different from psychological identification with how the other person feels, or vicariously experiencing what the other person feels. At best, “I’m sorry you feel that way” is an expression of pity and/or condescension.