Compassion
Also known as care, caring, kindness, nurturing
The need to experience and express caring in the face of suffering — your own or others'. A quality of heart that responds to pain with gentleness.
When met or unmet
When met
- Receiving or giving gentle care in difficulty
- Kindness in the face of suffering
- Being met with tenderness
When unmet
- Harshness when struggling
- Judgment instead of understanding
- Feeling alone in pain
Common expressions
I need some compassion Can't you see I'm struggling? A little kindness would help
Strategies
- Practising kindness toward yourself when you struggle
- Responding to others' suffering with care
- Cultivating awareness of suffering without being overwhelmed
- Taking compassionate action when possible
Recognition questions
- → Do I respond to suffering with kindness or judgment?
- → Is there compassion in how I treat myself?
- → Am I touched by others' struggles?
Somatic markers
When met
- Heart feeling soft and open
- Warmth and tenderness
- A sense of shared humanity
When unmet
- Hardness of heart
- Judgment and harshness
- Feeling alone in suffering
Shadow side
- Compassion fatigue from over-giving
- Using compassion to feel superior
- Pity that demeans rather than genuine compassion
Cultural considerations
Compassion is valued across cultures and religions. Its expression ranges from active intervention to respectful witnessing to communal care structures.