Talk:Compassion
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[edit] Comment
Some content moved to Forty-nine charismatic virtues. Peter Manchester 13:35, 25 Nov 2003 (UTC)
[edit] ... v.s. Sympathy
So how does this differ from sympathy? Should the two be merged? Why or why not?
- Additionally, is compassion predicated on empathy or sympathy, or neither, or both? It may be something outside the bounds of both of these things, but is triggered in various forms, or to various ends, by these things. 24.16.251.40 23:30, 31 May 2006 (UTC)
Sympathy is about feeling "sorry for" another person from a distance. As in, "you poor dear". "I feel sorry for you, you poor thing."
Compassion is about getting involved, entering in, suffering with, walking in the shoes of another person. "Compassion" is derived from the latin root words "cum": "with" and "passio": "to suffer", or literally "to suffer with". It is not about taking away or relieving one's suffering but rather meeting them in the place of one's suffering and being a companion with them, perhaps in hopes of lightening the load, but if suffering is not alleviated it does not mean one was less compassionate. Sympathy is not equal to compassion. All compassion may be sympathetic, but not all sympathy is compassionate. Sympathy is more about feeling sorry for another person from a distance. Compassion requires walking with the other person and feeling with them their suffering.
Empathy is different than sympathy because it’s about taking the perspective of the other, in the other’s shoes. I don’t put myself in their shoes, I try to see what it must be like for that unique person, not how I’d react, but I try to take that other person’s perspective, in their situation.
Sympathy: You poor thing. I feel so bad for you.
Empathy: That must be a tough thing for someone with your history to face.
Compassion: How can I walk with you in this dark time and hurt with you?
[edit] Measure
How to measure [compassion] in a country? unknown 07:38, 16 May 2006 (UTC)
- Possibly charitable acts as percentage of disposable income (not just donations of money), volunteer hours donated, etc.... These would have to be measured against fully altruistic (ie. tithing) or technically selfish acts (ie. donating to one's own organization) that just seem compassionate. I am unaware of any resources that are currently doing this, but you might want to check out the United Nations. You would probably also have to subtract (or even maybe divide by?) the relative number of anti-compassionate acts (such as expecting or demanding bribes, interfering with journalism, interfering with unharmful free expression, etc...) in those nations. A few organizations do this last, such as: http://www.heritage.org/index/ (Index of Economic Freedom), http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=573 (Reporters sans frontières) . International human rights watches of various sorts would probably also be up on it. 24.16.251.40 23:51, 31 May 2006 (UTC)
[edit] How to teach somebody to have compassion?
How to teach somebody to have compassion or to increase it, children or adults?
- Same way you teach someone to like to eat tripe: you convince or trick them into trying it and if they still don't like it, not much you can do. Maxim K 00:37, 9 November 2007 (UTC)
Compassion is a sense of shared suffering, most often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce such suffering; to show special kindness to those who suffer.
[edit] removed "veganism" from see also
Not that vegans aren't compassionate, but it seemed far too arbitrary to include.
[edit] Buddhism in the the beginning summary
I think the first few paragraphs should objectively describe compassion without discussing all these buddhist beliefs, perhaps moving the buddhist quotes into the 'In Religion' section. Thoughts? --Dankind 19:18, 19 January 2007 (UTC)
- Agreed - I have moved the information into the Religion section just now - the intro para could probably do with a bit more work. Ys, Gouranga(UK) 21:21, 19 January 2007 (UTC)
ay sorry this is sao paulo brazil .39830044
[edit] Purpose of Hitler's words?
More quatations should be included, at least to justify the existence of those words. Alex. 20:04, 4 September 2007
- I have removed the quote. This Google search seems to indicate that the quote was made up. It definitely appears to be unsourceable. (For future reference, it is usually best to move random quotes like this to their corresponding page at wikiquotes.org if they can be sourced. Otherwise, be bold and delete the (probably) fake quote.) Dave Runger 20:14, 4 September 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Origin
I was wondering, where did compassion come from? Why did we evolve to be compassionate? From a survival standpoint, compassion is a weakness; for example: A man evolves compassion and is attacked by a mountain lion, he bests the creature and it lays on the ground dying. The man feel compassion for the lion and helps save it's life; when the lion is better, in most cases it would immediately rip out the man's throat. As such the man who evolved compassion is killed, thus not being able to pass on the trait.24.118.227.213 05:02, 28 September 2007 (UTC)
- It probably evolved in tribal settings, tribes where members support probably did better... That's maybe also why people tend to care more about those that are similar to them or territorially close. Maxim K 00:15, 9 November 2007 (UTC)
[edit] WikiProject class rating
This article was automatically assessed because at least one WikiProject had rated the article as start, and the rating on other projects was brought up to start class. BetacommandBot 03:52, 10 November 2007 (UTC)
[edit] vs Empathy?
The article says that Compassion should not be confused with Empathy, but after reading the article, the difference between the two still isn't clear to me. --Irrevenant [ talk ] 08:35, 28 January 2008 (UTC)
- Compassion implies both understanding of other's suffering as well as the desire to alleviate it, empathy is an ability to understand other's emotions, without those being explicitly stated, but it doesn't neccesserily imply concern (although colloquialy it often does, iin which case there is no difference) Maxim K (talk) 05:54, 26 May 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Merge with Compassion in spirituality
The Compassion article is little more than a stub. It seems unreasonable to have such a large offshoot article such as Compassion in spirituality standing on its own. These two articles should be merged. Neelix (talk) 20:56, 7 May 2008 (UTC)
- Agreed. Compassion in spirituality should be brought here. --Robert Daoust (talk) 21:05, 7 May 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Actual definition
According to OED, the word 'compassion' means:
1. Suffering together with another, participation in suffering; fellow-feeling, sympathy. 2. The feeling or emotion, when a person is moved by the suffering or distress of another, and by the desire to relieve it; pity that inclines one to spare or to succour. 3. Sorrowful emotion, sorrow, grief.
And yet the article begins with the line "Compassion is an understanding of the emotional state of another or oneself." Compassion is primary a feeling (an emotion) rather than a mere intellectual understanding. Further, the first paragraph ends with the line "compassion may lead an individual to feel empathy with another person." Compassion is feeling; thus this statement is not accurate.
- Nearfar (talk) 05:21, 13 May 2008 (UTC)
I agree with Nearfar. The whole intro is badly in need of a serious rewrite. It's embarrassing. Wingspeed (talk) 17:44, 5 June 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Compassion in the Jewish tradition
Just noticed: this is a yawning, and also embarrassing, omission. Volunteers? Wingspeed (talk) 16:40, 8 June 2008 (UTC)
- Also is more conspicuously lacking now a section on compassion in secular society or persons... --Robert Daoust (talk) 18:11, 8 June 2008 (UTC)
