In the other's shoes

Sometimes I feel it is easier to bitch about other's unhappiness than feeling empathy about them.  A little dash of sympathy, perhaps.  But not empathy.  Someone was gleefully sharing something considerably juicy with me just a while ago.  I am not trying to be holier than thou but sometimes, sometimes...  sigh...  When I cannot be empathic or/and sympathetic about them, I think the least I can do is not listening to the bad talk ugly things gossip stuff not important to me.  Ooh!  This I-don't-want-to-know talk is really dampening my mood now!