Paragraph on importance of compassion
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Importance of compassion
Compassion is in my opinion, one of the single most important qualities we can possess as human beings. It is defined as “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it” {The Merriam-Webster Dictionary}. It has also been defined as "sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others." Other similar qualities are: empathy, fellow feeling, mercy, leniency, tolerance, kindness, humanity, sensitivity, charity, care, concern, and solicitude.
Those who demonstrate the most compassion, are those who have the ability to imagine themselves in another persons’ circumstances or predicament. They are the people who have perhaps never personally experienced something that another human being or animal is experiencing, yet are able to put themselves in that person or animals’ place and imagine what it must feel like.
Animals are themselves very compassionate creatures, and human beings can learn so much from them. Take for example the Capuchin monkey. They will help a fellow Capuchin even when they don’t have to. They also demonstrate a strong sense of fairness and are outraged when they feel there is an injustice taking place. These and other cases of animals showing compassion were studied by renowned Primatologist Frans de Waal.
Compassion is not something that is only appropriate if shown to others, it is necessary that we show compassion towards ourselves too. I am sure we have all heard the saying “They are as hard on themselves as they are on others.” While this may be expressed as if it is a good thing, I personally don’t think it is in all cases. If we are able to be compassionate towards ourselves, then it is easier to extend it to others. If we can only relate to others based on our own personal feelings, thoughts, opinions, and circumstances, how compassionate are we really being? We must remember, compassion is the ability to walk a mile in another persons’ shoes, not our own.
Importance on
Compassion
Compassion motivates people to put forth a selfless effort in helping the physical, mental, or emotional pains of another and themselves. Compassion is often regarded as having sensitivity, which is an emotional aspect to suffering. Though, when based on cerebral notions such as fairness, justice, and interdependence, it may be considered rational in nature and its application understood as an activity also based on sound judgment. There is also an aspect of equal dimension, such that an individual's compassion is often given a property of "depth", "vigor", or "passion". The etymology of "compassion" is Latin, meaning "co-suffering." Compassion involves "feeling for another" and is a precursor to empathy, the "feeling as another" capacity for better person- acts of active compassion; in common parlance active compassion is the desire to alleviate another's suffering.