OfthePleasureofmutualSympathyButwhatevermaybethecauseofsympathy，orhoweveritmaybeexcited，nothingpleasesusmorethantoobserveinothermenafellow-feelingwithalltheemotionsofourownbreast；norareweeversomuchshockedasbytheappearanceofthecontrary。
　　Thosewhoarefondofdeducingalloursentimentsfromcertainrefinementsofself-love，thinkthemselvesatnolosstoaccount，accordingtotheirownprinciples，bothforthispleasureandthispain。Man，saythey，consciousofhisownweakness，andoftheneedwhichhehasfortheassistanceofothers，rejoiceswheneverheobservesthattheyadopthisownpassions，becauseheisthenassuredofthatassistance；andgrieveswheneverheobservesthecontrary，becauseheisthenassuredoftheiropposition。Butboththepleasureandthepainarealwaysfeltsoinstantaneously，andoftenuponsuchfrivolousoccasions，thatitseemsevidentthatneitherofthemcanbederivedfromanysuchself-interestedconsideration。Amanismortifiedwhen，afterhavingendeavouredtodivertthecompany，helooksroundandseesthatnobodylaughsathisjestsbuthimself。Onthecontrary，themirthofthecompanyishighlyagreeabletohim，andheregardsthiscorrespondenceoftheirsentimentswithhisownasthegreatestapplause。
　　Neitherdoeshispleasureseemtoarisealtogetherfromtheadditionalvivacitywhichhismirthmayreceivefromsympathywiththeirs，norhispainfromthedisappointmenthemeetswithwhenhemissesthispleasure；thoughboththeoneandtheother，nodoubt，doinsomemeasure。Whenwehavereadabookorpoemsooftenthatwecannolongerfindanyamusementinreadingitbyourselves，wecanstilltakepleasureinreadingittoacompanion。Tohimithasallthegracesofnovelty；weenterintothesurpriseandadmirationwhichitnaturallyexcitesinhim，butwhichitisnolongercapableofexcitinginus；weconsideralltheideaswhichitpresentsratherinthelightinwhichtheyappeartohim，thaninthatinwhichtheyappeartoourselves，andweareamusedbysympathywithhisamusementwhichthusenlivensourown。Onthecontrary，weshouldbevexedifhedidnotseemtobeentertainedwithit，andwecouldnolongertakeanypleasureinreadingittohim。Itisthesamecasehere。Themirthofthecompany，nodoubt，enlivensourownmirth，andtheirsilence，nodoubt，disappointsus。Butthoughthismaycontributebothtothepleasurewhichwederivefromtheone，andtothepainwhichwefeelfromtheother，itisbynomeansthesolecauseofeither；andthiscorrespondenceofthesentimentsofotherswithourownappearstobeacauseofpleasure，andthewantofitacauseofpain，whichcannotbeaccountedforinthismanner。Thesympathy，whichmyfriendsexpresswithmyjoy，might，indeed，givemepleasurebyenliveningthatjoy:butthatwhichtheyexpresswithmygriefcouldgivemenone，ifitservedonlytoenliventhatgrief。Sympathy，however，enlivensjoyandalleviatesgrief。Itenlivensjoybypresentinganothersourceofsatisfaction；anditalleviatesgriefbyinsinuatingintotheheartalmosttheonlyagreeablesensationwhichitisatthattimecapableofreceiving。
　　Itistobeobservedaccordingly，thatwearestillmoreanxioustocommunicatetoourfriendsourdisagreeablethanouragreeablepassions，thatwederivestillmoresatisfactionfromtheirsympathywiththeformerthanfromthatwiththelatter，andthatwearestillmoreshockedbythewantofit。
　　Howaretheunfortunaterelievedwhentheyhavefoundoutapersontowhomtheycancommunicatethecauseoftheirsorrow？
　　Uponhissympathytheyseemtodisburthenthemselvesofapartoftheirdistress:heisnotimproperlysaidtoshareitwiththem。
　　Henotonlyfeelsasorrowofthesamekindwiththatwhichtheyfeel，butasifhehadderivedapartofittohimself，whathefeelsseemstoalleviatetheweightofwhattheyfeel。Yetbyrelatingtheirmisfortunestheyinsomemeasurerenewtheirgrief。Theyawakenintheirmemorytheremembranceofthosecircumstanceswhichoccasionedtheiraffliction。Theirtearsaccordinglyflowfasterthanbefore，andtheyareapttoabandonthemselvestoalltheweaknessofsorrow。Theytakepleasure，however，inallthis，and，itisevident，aresensiblyrelievedbyit；becausethesweetnessofhissympathymorethancompensatesthebitternessofthatsorrow，which，inordertoexcitethissympathy，theyhadthusenlivenedandrenewed。Thecruelestinsult，onthecontrary，whichcanbeofferedtotheunfortunate，istoappeartomakelightoftheircalamities。Toseemnottobeaffectedwiththejoyofourcompanionsisbutwantofpoliteness；butnottowearaseriouscountenancewhentheytellustheirafflictions，isrealandgrossinhumanity。
　　Loveisanagreeable；resentment，adisagreeablepassion；andaccordinglywearenothalfsoanxiousthatourfriendsshouldadoptourfriendships，asthattheyshouldenterintoourresentments。Wecanforgivethemthoughtheyseemtobelittleaffectedwiththefavourswhichwemayhavereceived，butloseallpatienceiftheyseemindifferentabouttheinjurieswhichmayhavebeendonetous:norarewehalfsoangrywiththemfornotenteringintoourgratitude，asfornotsympathizingwithourresentment。Theycaneasilyavoidbeingfriendstoourfriends，butcanhardlyavoidbeingenemiestothosewithwhomweareatvariance。Weseldomresenttheirbeingatenmitywiththefirst，thoughuponthataccountwemaysometimesaffecttomakeanawkwardquarrelwiththem；butwequarrelwiththemingoodearnestiftheyliveinfriendshipwiththelast。Theagreeablepassionsofloveandjoycansatisfyandsupporttheheartwithoutanyauxiliarypleasure。Thebitterandpainfulemotionsofgriefandresentmentmorestronglyrequirethehealingconsolationofsympathy。
　　Asthepersonwhoisprincipallyinterestedinanyeventispleasedwithoursympathy，andhurtbythewantofit，sowe，too，seemtobepleasedwhenweareabletosympathizewithhim，andtobehurtwhenweareunabletodoso。Werunnotonlytocongratulatethesuccessful，buttocondolewiththeafflicted；
　　andthepleasurewhichwefindintheconversationofonewhominallthepassionsofhisheartwecanentirelysympathizewith，seemstodomorethancompensatethepainfulnessofthatsorrowwithwhichtheviewofhissituationaffectsus。Onthecontrary，itisalwaysdisagreeabletofeelthatwecannotsympathizewithhim，andinsteadofbeingpleasedwiththisexemptionfromsympatheticpain，ithurtsustofindthatwecannotsharehisuneasiness。Ifwehearapersonloudlylamentinghismisfortunes，which，however，uponbringingthecasehometoourselves，wefeel，canproducenosuchviolenteffectuponus，weareshockedathisgrief；and，becausewecannotenterintoit，callitpusillanimityandweakness。Itgivesusthespleen，ontheotherhand，toseeanothertoohappyortoomuchelevated，aswecallit，withanylittlepieceofgoodfortune。Wearedisobligedevenwithhisjoy；and，becausewecannotgoalongwithit，callitlevityandfolly。Weareevenputoutofhumourifourcompanionlaughslouderorlongeratajokethanwethinkitdeserves；thatis，thanwefeelthatweourselvescouldlaughatit。
　　Ofthemannerinwhichwejudgeoftheproprietyorimproprietyoftheaffectionsofothermen，bytheirconcordordissonancewithoutown。
　　Whentheoriginalpassionsofthepersonprincipallyconcernedareinperfectconcordwiththesympatheticemotionsofthespectator，theynecessarilyappeartothislastjustandproper，andsuitabletotheirobjects；and，onthecontrary，when，uponbringingthecasehometohimself，hefindsthattheydonotcoincidewithwhathefeels，theynecessarilyappeartohimunjustandimproper，andunsuitabletothecauseswhichexcitethem。Toapproveofthepassionsofanother，therefore，assuitabletotheirobjects，isthesamethingastoobservethatweentirelysympathizewiththem；andnottoapproveofthemassuch，isthesamethingastoobservethatwedonotentirelysympathizewiththem。Themanwhoresentstheinjuriesthathavebeendonetome，andobservesthatIresentthempreciselyashedoes，necessarilyapprovesofmyresentment。Themanwhosesympathykeepstimetomygrief，cannotbutadmitthereasonablenessofmysorrow。Hewhoadmiresthesamepoem，orthesamepicture，andadmiresthemexactlyasIdo，mustsurelyallowthejustnessofmyadmiration。Hewholaughsatthesamejoke，andlaughsalongwithme，cannotwelldenytheproprietyofmylaughter。Onthecontrary，thepersonwho，uponthesedifferentoccasions，eitherfeelsnosuchemotionasthatwhichIfeel，orfeelsnonethatbearsanyproportiontomine，cannotavoiddisapprovingmysentimentsonaccountoftheirdissonancewithhisown。Ifmyanimositygoesbeyondwhattheindignationofmyfriendcancorrespondto；ifmygriefexceedswhathismosttendercompassioncangoalongwith；ifmyadmirationiseithertoohighortoolowtotallywithhisown；ifIlaughloudandheartilywhenheonlysmiles，or，onthecontrary，onlysmilewhenhelaughsloudandheartily；inallthesecases，assoonashecomesfromconsideringtheobject，toobservehowIamaffectedbyit，accordingasthereismoreorlessdisproportionbetweenhissentimentsandmine，Imustincuragreaterorlessdegreeofhisdisapprobation:anduponalloccasionshisownsentimentsarethestandardsandmeasuresbywhichhejudgesofmine。
　　Toapproveofanotherman’sopinionsistoadoptthoseopinions，andtoadoptthemistoapproveofthem。Ifthesameargumentswhichconvinceyouconvincemelikewise，Inecessarilyapproveofyourconviction；andiftheydonot，Inecessarilydisapproveofit:neithercanIpossiblyconceivethatIshoulddotheonewithouttheother。Toapproveordisapprove，therefore，oftheopinionsofothersisacknowledged，byeverybody，tomeannomorethantoobservetheiragreementordisagreementwithourown。Butthisisequallythecasewithregardtoourapprobationordisapprobationofthesentimentsorpassionsofothers。
　　Thereare，indeed，somecasesinwhichweseemtoapprovewithoutanysympathyorcorrespondenceofsentiments，andinwhich，consequently，thesentimentofapprobationwouldseemtobedifferentfromtheperceptionofthiscoincidence。Alittleattention，however，willconvinceusthateveninthesecasesourapprobationisultimatelyfoundeduponasympathyorcorrespondenceofthiskind。Ishallgiveaninstanceinthingsofaveryfrivolousnature，becauseinthemthejudgmentsofmankindarelessapttobepervertedbywrongsystems。Wemayoftenapproveofajest，andthinkthelaughterofthecompanyquitejustandproper，thoughweourselvesdonotlaugh，because，perhaps，weareinagravehumour，orhappentohaveourattentionengagedwithotherobjects。Wehavelearned，however，fromexperience，whatsortofpleasantryisuponmostoccasionscapableofmakinguslaugh，andweobservethatthisisoneofthatkind。Weapprove，therefore，ofthelaughterofthecompany，andfeelthatitisnaturalandsuitabletoitsobject；because，thoughinourpresentmoodwecannoteasilyenterintoit，wearesensiblethatuponmostoccasionsweshouldveryheartilyjoininit。
　　Thesamethingoftenhappenswithregardtoalltheotherpassions。Astrangerpassesbyusinthestreetwithallthemarksofthedeepestaffliction；andweareimmediatelytoldthathehasjustreceivedthenewsofthedeathofhisfather。Itisimpossiblethat，inthiscase，weshouldnotapproveofhisgrief。Yetitmayoftenhappen，withoutanydefectofhumanityonourpart，that，sofarfromenteringintotheviolenceofhissorrow，weshouldscarceconceivethefirstmovementsofconcernuponhisaccount。Bothheandhisfather，perhaps，areentirelyunknowntous，orwehappentobeemployedaboutotherthings，anddonottaketimetopictureoutinourimaginationthedifferentcircumstancesofdistresswhichmustoccurtohim。Wehavelearned，however，fromexperience，thatsuchamisfortunenaturallyexcitessuchadegreeofsorrow，andweknowthatifwetooktimetoconsiderhissituation，fullyandinallitsparts，weshould，withoutdoubt，mostsincerelysympathizewithhim。Itisupontheconsciousnessofthisconditionalsympathy，thatourapprobationofhissorrowisfounded，eveninthosecasesinwhichthatsympathydoesnotactuallytakeplace；andthegeneralrulesderivedfromourprecedingexperienceofwhatoursentimentswouldcommonlycorrespondwith，correctuponthis，asuponmanyotheroccasions，theimproprietyofourpresentemotions。
　　Thesentimentoraffectionoftheheartfromwhichanyactionproceeds，anduponwhichitswholevirtueorvicemustultimatelydepend，maybeconsideredundertwodifferentaspects，orintwodifferentrelations；first，inrelationtothecausewhichexcitesit，orthemotivewhichgivesoccasiontoit；andsecondly，inrelationtotheendwhichitproposes，ortheeffectwhichittendstoproduce。
　　Inthesuitablenessorunsuitableness，intheproportionordisproportionwhichtheaffectionseemstobeartothecauseorobjectwhichexcitesit，consiststheproprietyorimpropriety，thedecencyorungracefulnessoftheconsequentaction。
　　Inthebeneficialorhurtfulnatureoftheeffectswhichtheaffectionaimsat，ortendstoproduce，consiststhemeritordemeritoftheaction，thequalitiesbywhichitisentitledtoreward，orisdeservingofpunishment。