This paper is a exploratory study that reviewed characteristics, components and psychological mechanism of empathy/sympathy based on a lot of antecedent studies about empathy/sympathy in various domains in order to use and apply interdisciplinary and empathy is as a multi-dimensional and psychological construct. In order to test theoretical suggestions, data were collected 473 people from 10 to 50 residents in Daejeon/Sejong/Chungnam province with the questionnaire including to sub-factors related to empathy based on antecedent studies. Reliability analysis, factor analysis of empathy/sympathy were conducted using SPSS. The results of this study were following. First of all, we classified empathy/sympathy into affective empathy and rational sympathy. Second, we constructed components of empathy/sympathy as tri-dimensional concept that include cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions. Third, we suggested new definition of empathy/sympathy as “skill and capability to recognize and accept reality of counterpart as it was, to understand feeling and emotion of counterpart in the counterpart’s shoes, and to communicate to counterpart as language that understood about counterpart’s feeling and emotion. Fourth, we discussed psychological mechanism of empathy/sympathy based on the experience and the regulatory fit. Finally, in addition to future studies, we discussed implication of this study.