This is a well scribed and eloquent article on the subject.

I have one in my nursing publication drafts on the difference between empathy and sympathy as the two are often used incorrectly.

I totally agree no one can ever truly feel how someone else is feeling and I reiterate this as a nursing instructor.

We can be sympathetic to their needs and contemplate how we would feel given a diagnosis or situation; we can attempt to put ourselves in someone else's shoes but it is impossible to experience their exact feelings or situation. Every person is multidimensional and unique.