Compassion
Social emotion motivating relief of suffering in others and self.
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Compassion is a social emotion that motivates people to relieve the physical, mental, or emotional pains of others and themselves. It involves sensitivity to the suffering of others and is considered a precursor to empathy, distinguished from sympathy by responding with warmth and care rather than sorrow and concern. Compassion is ranked as a great virtue in numerous philosophies and almost all major religious traditions.
Quick Facts
- Field
- Emotion
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- Religion
- Known for
- Social emotion motivating relief of suffering
- precursor to empathy
- key component in altruism
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Compassion involves allowing oneself to be moved by suffering to help alleviate and prevent it. An act of compassion is one intended to be helpful.
Other virtues that harmonize with compassion include patience, wisdom, kindness, perseverance, warmth, and resolve. In Buddhism, compassion is the heartfelt wish to relieve the suffering of all beings, paired with the courage to act, and is considered a source of lasting happiness. The English noun compassion, meaning 'to suffer together with', comes from Latin, with its prefix com- meaning 'with' and -passion derived from passus, past participle of patior, meaning 'to suffer'.
Reader's Guide
Compassion is recognized as a distinct emotional state in evolutionary psychology, differentiated from distress, sadness, and love, though some theories view it as a variation of love or sadness. It requires three major conditions: the troubles must be perceived as serious, not self-inflicted, and the compassionate person must be able to picture themselves with the same problems without blame or shame.
Compassion is characteristic of democratic societies because it is highly related to identifying with others across cultures and locations. The role of compassion in individual or societal behavior has been debated; while its absence may enable atrocities, compassion can induce kindness and forgiveness that prevent violence. However, pathological compassion can lead to negative effects such as impunity, miscarriage of justice, gullibility, compassion fatigue, and depression.
Did You Know?
- Compassion consists of three facets: noticing, feeling, and responding.
- Compassion is not pity, nor attachment, nor simply wishful thinking; it is basically a variation of love.
- Compassion may be considered partially rational in nature when based on fairness, justice, and interdependence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Compassion in Ethics & Morality 1-24?
Compassion is a social emotion that drives individuals to ease the physical, mental, or emotional suffering of both others and themselves. It sits at the intersection of emotion, psychology, philosophy, and religion.
What is Compassion's role and what is it known for?
Compassion functions as a precursor to empathy and serves as a key component in altruistic behavior. It is specifically recognized for motivating people to relieve the suffering they witness in others or feel in themselves.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Compassion (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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