why is compassion important essay

20 Reasons Why Compassion Is So Important in Psychology

Imagine a world without Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., St. Francis of Assisi, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and so many others.

Imagine a world without the countless individuals who risked their own lives to save others during wartime (i.e., the thousands of Holocaust martyrs listed as the Righteous Among Nations). Imagine a world without those who’ve run into burning buildings or executed other heroic feats of rescue during times of trauma. It’s unthinkable.

And what about the concept of compassion in modern everyday life? After all, if this quality has the power to inspire courageous deeds, it must also encourage all sorts of positive behaviors that have both individual and societal benefits.

This article will address these ideas by looking closely at the concept of compassion; such as its meaning, value, psychological and other benefits, and relationship to qualities that promote coping (i.e., resilience).

Empirical research examining the impact and correlates of compassion will also be included. If compassion may be perceived as a requisite for a meaningful existence and civilized society, it is indeed a concept worthy of continued discovery. So, let’s begin our inquiry into this precious quality that is compassion.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Self-Compassion Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you increase the compassion and kindness you show yourself and will also give you the tools to help your clients, students, or employees show more compassion to themselves.

This Article Contains

The concept of compassion in psychology, compassion and positive psychology, research and studies, why is compassion important and necessary, the value and power of compassion, 20 proven benefits of compassion, is compassion linked to resilience, does compassion help to deal with stress, why is compassion important in society, other common questions, 12 psychology journals on compassion, a take-home message.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

The Dalai Lama’s words are instructive because they refer to the emotional benefits of compassion to both the giver and recipient. In other words, the rewards of practicing compassion work both ways.

But what exactly is meant by ‘compassion?’ Various definitions of compassion have been proposed by researchers and philosophers. For example, in his detailed review, Cassell (2009) reported the following three requirements for compassion:

1) “That the troubles that evoke our feelings are serious;”

2) “that the sufferers’ troubles not be self-inflicted— that they be the result of an unjust fate;” and

3) “we must be able to picture ourselves in the same predicament” (p. 3).

As such, compassion is not an automatic response to another’s plight; it is a response that occurs only when the situation is perceived as serious, unjust and relatable. It requires a certain level of awareness, concern and empathy.

Consistent with the above definition, seeing a homeless man on the sidewalk will register differently depending upon how this situation is uniquely perceived by passersby. The amount of compassion elicited by others will be dependent upon how serious his situation is deemed, as well as the perceived degree of fault attributed to him for his predicament.

This example is pertinent to a quote that is prevalent in studies of compassion: “ Make no judgments where you have no compassion ” (Anne McCaffrey, goodreads.com). Judging a person’s predicament in the absence of compassion amounts to little more than judgment. Compassion can be painful to feel because it requires empathy for others, but it is also necessary because it evokes positive action.

A Look at Self-Compassion

Psychologists are also interested in the role of compassion towards oneself. When individuals view their own behaviors and shortcomings without compassion, they may ruminate about their faults and inadequacies in such a way that erodes self-esteem and happiness.

Because of the importance of self-kindness and -forgiveness to mental health, the concept of ‘ self-compassion ’ is occurring more often in the psychological literature.

Self-compassion has been defined as involving “self-kindness versus self-judgment; a sense of common humanity versus isolation, and mindfulness versus overidentification” (Neff, 2003, p. 212). It is a way of recognizing one’s inability to be perfect and to see oneself from a comforting rather than critical perspective (Neff, 2003).

Self-compassion is gaining popularity in psychology because of its reported relationships with reduced feelings of anxiety, depression, and rumination (Neff, Kirkpatrick, & Rude, 2007), as well as increased psychological wellbeing and connections with others (Neff et al., 2007; Zessin, Dickhäuser, & Garbade, 2015).

As research emerges suggesting that self-compassion represents an important protective mechanism, increased numbers of psychological interventions are including self-compassion as a key treatment component.

The field of positive psychology “ is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play ” (International Positive Psychology Association in Donaldson, Dollwet, & Rao, 2014, p. 2).

It is a field that encompasses an array of positive experiences such as contentment, optimism, and happiness which cover past, present and future timepoints; as well as individual (i.e., forgiveness) and group (i.e., civility) level traits (Kashdan, & Ciarrochi, 2013).

Considering positive psychology’s focus on the promotion of positive emotions, traits, and behaviors that ultimately foster positive wellbeing (Donaldson et al., 2014); the study of compassion fits in well with the interests of positive psychologists. The role of compassion in positive psychology is being increasingly supported by science.

In their comprehensive review of empirical studies within the positive psychology field between 1999 and 2013, Donaldson and colleagues (2014) identified 771 articles across 46 countries addressing the aims of positive psychology.

Wellbeing was the most prevalent topic studied. The researchers reported a number of studies indicating that compassion and gratitude were predictors of increased wellbeing (Donaldson et al., 2014).

Additionally, mindfulness was the most frequently researched intervention, and intensive mindfulness training was related to increases in several positive outcomes, including self-compassion. There is little doubt that compassion will continue to maintain its place in positive psychology as a quality meriting continued attention and research.

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There are a growing number of research studies examining the benefits and correlates of compassion.

The following table provides a list of 14 examples:

Increased compassion is related to increased happiness and decreased depressionShapira & Mongrain, 2010

Since Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000) originally set the groundwork for the positive psychology movement 15 years ago, many exciting research studies have emerged within the field. Included within this research is the aim of increasing the understanding of important predictors of prosocial outcomes, such as compassion.

But why compassion? Seppala, Rossomando and James (2013) describe social connection as an underlying drive of human behavior, even at the physiological level. As we are a highly social species, fostering meaningful relationships is an essential aspect of healthy human adjustment.

Establishing such connections requires the ability to express care and concern for other people, as well as to identify with them. This latter concept has been termed ‘perspective taking’ (Kashdan, & Ciarrochi, 2013) and is an area of importance in relationship-building because being able to identify with another person’s feelings is strongly related to empathy.

Compassion and empathy are fundamental aspects of quality relationships as they enable kind and loving behavior. Compassionate behavior such as volunteer work also has been associated with positive outcomes such as increased academic aspirations and self-esteem among adolescents (Kirkpatrick, Johnson, & Beebe, et al., 1998), as well as improved mortality rates among older volunteers (Yum & Lightfoot, 2005).

Not only does showing compassion for others make us feel better about ourselves, but self-compassion also serves an important function for wellbeing. Unfortunately, people often disparage themselves over mistakes for which they would readily forgive others. Yet, when we look beyond our flaws and treat ourselves with forgiveness and understanding, we increase our psychological health and wellbeing.

In fact, self-compassion has been reported as more beneficial than self-esteem because it strongly enhances emotional resilience without also fostering some of the negative correlates that have been associated with self-esteem (i.e., ego-defensiveness; Neff, 2011).

The reported relationships between both compassion and self-compassion with various positive outcomes represent exciting findings for both researchers and psychologists alike.

According to the Dalai Lama:

Each of us in our own way can try to spread compassion into people’s hearts. Western civilizations these days place great importance on filling the human ‘brain’ with knowledge, but no one seems to care about filling the human ‘heart’ with compassion. This is what the real role of religion is.

(Quotegarden.com).

This quote is pertinent to the field of medicine, wherein medical school training places a strong emphasis on the attainment of knowledge— with minimal attention given to the teaching of compassion.

This lack of attention to compassion in the medical field has been reported by patients, with one survey indicating that only 53% of hospitalized patients reported experiencing compassionate care (Lown, Rosen, & Marttila, 2011).

However, for those experiencing serious or traumatic healthcare issues, bedside manner makes a huge difference in terms of the patient’s emotional and physical health. Moreover, it only takes one uncaring medical professional to discourage future trips to the doctor.

Clearly, the value and power of compassion are essential within the medical field. As patients face their pain, anxiety and fear; nurturing of the soul takes on a vital role in both healing and coping.

For example, in a 17-year longitudinal study of HIV patients, researchers found that greater giving of compassionate love and compassionate love towards oneself were predictive of longer survival (Ironson, Kremer, & Lucette, 2018). This finding is a true testament to the power of compassion.

While the value of compassion in healthcare has gained increased attention among researchers, especially in the field of nursing— it remains a neglected focus of training.

In a poignant story recently posted on Facebook (Treasureside.com), the value of compassion in the nursing field is beautifully articulated. This article chronicles a woman who lost her baby during delivery; it’s a raw and gut-wrenching description of her experience. Despite her despair, the mother used social media to convey her experience as a way of honoring the compassion of nurses.

In her ‘thank you’ letter, she expressed her gratitude to her nurses by noting the many loving and compassionate acts they displayed during her trauma. Here are a few of her expressions of appreciation toward the nurses:

• “ Thank you for being my advocate when I couldn’t speak up because I was too busy fighting for my life. ”
• “ Thank you for holding me as I wept at the burden [breast milk] I could not release. Your embrace did nothing to lighten the heaviness in my breasts, but you brought a glimmer of light into my very dark world. ”
• “ Thank you to the nurse in the ICU who came in to clean me up after my daughter died. Thank you for taking the time to help me wash my face and brush my hair. ”
• “ Thank you to the nurse who dressed my baby and took her picture. Thank you for making sure her hat didn’t cover her eyes and that her hands were positioned gracefully. ” (Treasureside.com).

This beautiful letter says everything about the necessity and power of compassion among nurses, who – especially in situations such as this one— often represent the healthcare professionals who nurture patients through their worst nightmares.

The article portrays, not just one or two compassionate nurses; but a full team of caring individuals who seemed to work together in fully embracing a devastated family’s emotional, psychological, and physical needs. These skills go well beyond medical training; they reflect a depth of understanding and sensitivity that is the epitome of kindness, generosity, and love.

Compassion has been described as the “essence of nursing” (Chambers & Ryder 2009), as it requires the ability to perceive the patient’s experience while promoting healing and alleviating suffering. Training healthcare workers in compassion becomes complex because everyone expresses and receives compassion differently.

In their qualitative study of hospital patients in the United Kingdom, Bramley and Matiti (2014) explored patients’ experiences of compassion during their nursing care.

Patients defined nursing compassion in the following ways:

1) Compassion was reported as strongly connected to care, involving encouragement, plenty of time dedicated to patients, and individualized, personal care;

2) Empathy was also considered important and included the desire for nurses to understand how the lack of compassion might feel to a patient; and

3) While the value of compassion did not waver among patients, they disagreed about whether it represents a teachable quality versus an innate trait.

The authors suggest that clinical practice emphasize the importance of nursing compassion by using compassionate care activities (i.e., hearing patient stories, role-playing compassionate behavior, etc.; Bramley and Matiti, 2014). Therapeutic materials based on Mutzel’s therapeutic relationship model have also been designed to teach student nurses how to be more compassionate and empathetic toward patients (Richardson, Percy, & Hughes, 2015).

Of course, there is no reason for compassion within healthcare to be a requirement only for nurses; doctors also have a responsibility to respond to patients in a way that reduces anxiety and promotes wellness and coping— especially for patients dealing with serious illness.

One study found that physicians significantly reduced anxiety among cancer patients by simply providing a 40-second compassion video to patients (Fogarty, Curbow, & Wingard, et al., 1999). Moreover, among patients who viewed this short video, doctors were rated as higher in caring, compassion, and warmth.

If 40-seconds of compassion can make a meaningful difference in reducing patient anxiety, why not ensure that it is consistently applied during patient-doctor conversations?

We are all familiar with the flight video instructing parents to provide oxygen for themselves before their children. This is because we can only help others if we take care of ourselves first; otherwise we have nothing to offer.

Along these lines, the notion of self-compassion is gaining increased attention in healthcare research. Doctors, nurses and other medical professionals may work long hours doing highly stressful work. Self-compassion is an important way for such healthcare professionals to practice self-care and -kindness in order to prevent burnout.

Compassion fatigue (to be subsequently described) and burnout are significant nursing stressors (Neville & Cole, 2013), with research reporting moderate to high levels of burnout among 82% of ER nurses (Hooper, Craig, Janvrin, Wetsel, & Reimels, 2010).

Visualize, for example, a nurse or physician who works a 12-hour shift in a busy emergency room. There are times when he/she may be exhausted with little time to eat; all the while experiencing the stress and sense of personal responsibility that comes with life or death situations.

By emotionally restructuring cognitions in a way that is consistent with self-compassion (i.e., by understanding that some events are beyond one’s control), the medical professional will be better able to cope with highly stressful situations.

Despite the logical justification for increased self-compassion among healthcare workers (including benefits to patients), there isn’t a great deal of research or medical training emphasis on self-compassion.

Consequently, physicians tend to instead value personal qualities such as perfectionism (Mills & Chapman, 2016), which is an important omission. After all, self-compassion predicts reduced anxiety and increased psychological wellbeing (Neff et al., 2007)— qualities that will only serve to enhance the ability of medical personnel to perform quality work.

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Even though self-compassion and compassion toward others are still burgeoning areas of research, many proven benefits have already been identified.

Here are 20:

• Compassion promotes social connection among adults and children. Social connection is important to adaptive human functioning, as it is related to increased self-esteem, empathy, wellbeing; and higher interpersonal orientation (Seppala et al., 2013).
• Compassion is related to increased happiness (Shapira & Mongrain, 2010).
• Compassion is related to higher levels of wellbeing (Zessin et al., 2015).
• Compassionate love is associated with higher patient survival rates, even after adjusting for social support and substance use effects (Ironson et al., 2017).
• Patient-reported clinician empathy and compassion is related to increased patient satisfaction and lower distress (Lelorain, Brédart, Dolbeault, & Sultan, 2012).
• Brief expressions of compassion expressed by doctors are related to decreased patient anxiety (Fogarty, et al., 1999).
• Compassion has a mediating effect on the link between religion and aggression among adolescents. Stated another way, a relationship between religion and aggression was diminished among youths rated higher in compassion and self-control (Shepperd, Miller, Tucker, & Smith, 2015).
• Compassion-focused therapy is reported as a promising therapeutic approach for individuals with affective disorders characterized by high self-criticism (Leaviss & Uttley, 2012).
• Compassion promotes positive parenting by improving parent-child relationships (i.e., more affection and less negative affect; Duncan, Coatsworth, & Greenberg, 2009). Consequently, there are various mindfulness-based parent training approaches and parenting books with a specific focus on compassionate parenting  (i.e., Parenting From Your Heart: Sharing the Gifts of Compassion, Connection, and Choice , Kashtan, 2004; and Raising Children Compassionately: Parenting the Nonviolent Communication Way , Rosenberg, 2004).
• Compassion within classrooms is related to increased cooperation and better learning (Hart & Kindle Hodson, 2004).
• Compassion for teachers as expressed by colleagues is linked to increased teacher job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and sense of emotional vigor (Eldor & Shoshani, 2016).
• Compassion expressed as a function of service work is related to improved health and wellbeing among volunteers (Black & Living, 2004; Yum & Lightfoot, 2005).
• Self-compassion has a number of proven psychological benefits, such as reduced PTSD symptom severity (Thompson & Waltz, 2008), and lower levels of psychopathology in general (MacBeth & Gumley, 2012).
• Self-compassion is linked to more positive aging (Phillips & Ferguson, 2013).
• The combination of self-compassion and optimism is beneficial for depression-vulnerable people (Shapira & Mongrain, 2010).
• Self-compassion during smoking cessation training is associated with reduced smoking among participants with low readiness to change, high self-criticism, and vivid imagery during the treatment program (Kelly, Zuroff, Foa, & Gilbert, 2010).
• Low habitual self-compassion and high self-criticism are related to a higher risk of depression (Ehret, Joorman, & Berking, 2014).
• Self-compassion can be linked to various aspects of general wellbeing, such as happiness, optimism, positive affect, wisdom, personal initiative, curiosity and exploration (Neff et al., 2007).
• Self-compassion reduces burnout and fosters important adaptive qualities among medical professionals (Mills & Chapman, 2016).
• Self-compassion buffers the negative impact of stress (Allen & Leary, 2010).

Resilience is defined as “the process of, capacity for, or outcome of successful adaptation despite challenging or threatening circumstances” (Masten, Best, & Garmezy, 1990). It is a type of mental armor that protects individuals from the impact of adversity. Along with promoting wellbeing and social connectedness, there is reason to believe that compassion also fosters resilience.

In their review article, Peters and Calvo (2014) describe compassion as the act of being sensitive to the suffering of others. The authors further note that compassion represents a form of affiliation that motivates us to help those in need. It is in this way that “ compassion triggers positive affect in the face of suffering and therefore contributes to resilience and wellbeing ” (Peters and Calvo, 2014, p. 48).

Resilience has also been proposed as important for reducing the likelihood of ‘compassion fatigue’ – which occurs among workers who deal with high trauma patients (i.e., social workers, hospice nurses, oncologists, rape victim counselors, etc.).

Compassion fatigue has also been referred to as secondary stress that occurs when compassion decreases over time for individuals in roles demanding a high level of compassion. As compassion fatigue is a precursor to burnout, it essential to take steps toward avoiding it.

Interestingly, Mother Theresa was proactive when it came to compassion fatigue , as she required her nuns to restore themselves emotionally by taking leave for a full year every 4-5 years.

Others have suggested that occupational resilience that inhibits compassion fatigue is supported by a work environment with sufficient support for self-care, self-protection, professional development, safety measures, personal experiences, and education (Kapoulitsas & Corcoran, 2014).

These findings suggest that, while compassion plays a role in promoting resilience; there is a line at which a constant need for high levels of compassion can produce burnout. Fortunately, supervisors of those with high stress helping occupations have begun to take some necessary steps toward promoting emotional health and resilience among these invaluable workers.

Several research studies have suggested that there are stress-buffering benefits of compassion. For example, one study by Pace, Tenzin Negi and Adame (2009) investigated the impact of compassion meditation— which consists of meditation that goes beyond soothing the mind by also adding a compassion-enhancement component.

More specifically, following a Tibetan Buddhist mind-training approach, the goal of compassion meditation is to challenge unexamined cognitions toward others in order to promote altruistic feelings (Pace et al., 2009).

Study participants attended twice-weekly 50-minute compassion meditation sessions for a total of six weeks, as well as additional sessions that were completed at home. The researchers found that compassion meditation participation was associated with innate immune responses to psychosocial stress (Pace et al., 2009).

A similar study examined mindfulness-based stress reduction training that consisted of sensory awareness exercises, yoga, loving-kindness meditation; as well as education regarding stress symptoms and consequences (Birnie, Speca, & Carlson, 2010). Research findings indicated that self-compassion was related to reduced stress symptoms (Birnie et al., 2010).

Laboratory studies also have reported stress-related benefits of compassion. For example, in an ego-threat experiment, self-compassion was found to protect participants from anxiety (Neff et al., 2007).

And finally, compassion was assessed among participants who completed a high-stress task. Those who were higher in compassion reported a greater degree of liking for supportive evaluators.

Compassion also interacted with social support such that those participants who were higher in compassion and received social support as part of the experiment showed less physiological stress reactivity as measured by blood pressure, HF-HRV, and cortisol reactivity (Cosley, McCoy, Saslow, & Epel, 2010).

The above studies support the notion that individuals who are high in self-compassion or compassion for others respond to stress in a healthier way than those who are lower in such constructs.

With respect to self-compassion, psychologists argue that self-compassionate individuals buffer themselves from stress by using self-kindness and positive cognitive restructuring as a way of coping with stressful situations (Allen, & Leary, 2010). More research is needed examining the link between compassion and stress, but evidence thus far provides promising support for the stress inoculating power of compassion.

The 14th Dalai Lama, known as Gyalwa Rinpoche, once said,

“ We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves .”

The inner peace this quote illustrates regards the concept of self-compassion. Self-compassion consists of three distinct constructs (Hollis-Walker & Colosimo, 2011):

• showing ourselves warmth and kindness, rather than harsh self-criticism or judgment;
• accepting that imperfection, failure, and suffering are an unavoidable part of the human condition;
• mindfully paying attention to one’s suffering in the present moment with clarity and balance.

Self-compassionate behavior has been linked to increased optimism, emotional intelligence, coping, and several physical health benefits (Neff, 2003). The 12 self-compassion techniques can be implemented to start or develop your journey to self-compassion.

In his classic song “Imagine,” John Lennon envisioned a world in which people lived peacefully without greed or hunger. He was singing about his dream for a compassionate world.

Philosophers have also shared many thoughts on compassion, such as Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), who believed that “ Compassion is the basis of all morality ” (thinkexist.com). In a compassion-based society, historical atrocities such as genocide, war, and acts of terrorism would not have happened.

Fortunately, as history is a window to the future, we can learn a great deal from it. History needs to be considered with a compassionate mindset, which includes an understanding of ongoing historical trauma. And with the hypervigilance to notice and act upon current wrongdoings such that they do not escalate, and negative historical events are not repeated.

More poignantly stated in Deuteronomy 4:9, “ Only guard yourself and guard your soul carefully, lest you forget the things your eyes saw, and lest these things depart your heart all the days of your life. And you shall make them known to your children and to your children’s children ” (Deuteronomy 4:9). This is living with compassion both for the past and the present.

Compassion is suggested as an integral component of evolution by serving to protect vulnerable offspring, promote cooperative behavior between non-family members, and encourage adaptive mate selection (Goetz, Keltner, & Simon-Thomas, 2010). Stated another way, compassion has served to enhance the survival of the human species.

Being moved by the suffering of another has always been necessary for the betterment of society and there is a multitude of modern examples where an ounce of compassion makes a world of difference. Unfortunately, research indicates modern society is showing an alarming decline in social connectedness (Seppala et al., 2013), which is a likely byproduct of the reliance on technology versus face-to-face contact.

Another area in society where increased compassion is sorely needed is driving. Road rage represents a worldwide epidemic that is responsible for millions of injuries per year (James, 2000). If compassionate driving was societally reinforced, as well as a key priority of driving schools, drivers would be less likely to berate other drivers.

Rather, they would be more inclined to understand that drivers are simply human beings who make mistakes. After all, a person who is driving too slowly or fails to signal might simply be having a really bad day. Lives would be saved, injuries avoided, and anger both expressed and modeled for children would be reduced if people would practice compassion behind the wheel.

There are numerous other areas where the suffering of others is too often viewed with an eye of judgment, rather than compassion. For example, homelessness and drug use have reached epidemic proportions in some cities, leaving politicians and citizens at a loss for what to do. There are, however, compassionate approaches that DO work.

In Seattle, WA, the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) project took a novel approach toward chronic drug-users who habitually cycle through the criminal justice system.

The LEAD philosophy is based on research indicating that continued prosecution and jail time for drug addicts fail to deter recidivism. And most importantly, the revolving door in and out of jail leaves individuals dealing with a large sequelae of serious risk factors and problems (i.e., child and/or domestic abuse, poverty, homelessness, mental illness, lack of family support, racial and cultural disparities, medical problems, lack of educational opportunities, etc.) worse off than before.

By taking both a compassionate and research-based approach, the LEAD program offered repeat offending drug users (the majority of whom were also chronically homeless) the opportunity to avoid arrest and jail time by enrolling in a cooperative effort between Seattle police officers and case managers assigned to participants.

Participants received compassion, rather than judgment; as well as the dignity to make their own treatment-related choices. The program was highly individualized and comprehensive, with each participant receiving extensive case management and supportive services specific to their own needs, and for as long as necessary.

Relative to controls, LEAD participants experienced 60% lower odds of arrest and felony charges (Collins, Lonczak, & Clifasefi, 2017), as well as a significantly greater likelihood of obtaining housing, employment and legitimate income at follow-up (Clifasefi, Lonczak, & Collins, 2016). The LEAD program— which has since been replicated in other states and countries, represents a community of compassion that works.

One of the beautiful aspects of the LEAD program is that the police offers became compassionate adversaries for many individuals who had experienced law enforcement in a very different way for much of their lives.

In their essay on “ Mindfulness, Compassion, and the Police in America ,” DeValve and Adkinson (2008) provide an argument for a new paradigm of organizational mindfulness among police.

The authors propose that police officers “ deepen their practices sufficiently to exude compassion” and institute problem-orienting policing as a way to address “economic inequality, mental illness, individual suffering, and substandard education… [while moving away from] their traditional order-maintenance worldview, and re-empower themselves to act in different (e.g., policy) spheres as well as in areas of public safety ” (DeValve & Adkinson, 2008, pgs. 100 & 102).

In line with the notion of community justice, it is proposed that Buddhist philosophy is an instructive model for law enforcement by applying mindful action toward the reduction of suffering. Not only would a compassionate-based way of policing reduce racial tensions between police and the community, but it also would “ predicate a relationship of trust, a reservoir of goodwill, to help salve the wounds of the community ” (DeValve & Adkinson, 2008, pgs. 103).

Compassion clearly holds an invaluable place in many aspects of society, such as among police officers, medical professionals, teachers, and social workers. Role models of compassion among those in power (i.e., politicians), have the capacity to dampen motivation toward hateful acts; while instead bolstering kindness, love, and understanding. Moreover, by recognizing human fallibility while considering the suffering of others with an eye toward compassion, individuals can make a difference in creating a more peaceful society.

Here is a list of frequently asked questions and answers about compassion.

1. Can compassion be learned?

Absolutely. While some of us behave more consistently compassionate than others due to upbringing and various other factors, interventions promoting compassion indicate that compassion is teachable. Moreover, such interventions have found increases in various positive factors such as social connection.

Naturally, teaching compassion should begin with young children in order to foster a trajectory toward empathy, compassion, and kindness at a time when personalities and beliefs are still developing.

2. Do other animal species have compassion?

Yes, compassion is evident among other animal species, such as monkeys, whales, elephants, and so many more. And of course, dogs and cats have been known to show endless amounts of unconditional love and compassion for humans.

3. What can I do to be more compassionate?

• Be altruistic . We can be more compassionate by moving beyond our comfort zones and helping individuals or engaging in service work as a way of helping people, animals, and our communities. Altruistic behaviors also improve the self-esteem and wellbeing of those who offer them.
• Avoid judgment. It is impossible to know the factors that have led a person toward their current predicament; nor how we would fare in the same situation. Considering our own similarities to others in need will help to promote empathy and compassion.
• Practice gratitude . Reflecting on the things in your life that you appreciate will foster a sense of compassion for those less fortunate.
• Consider Buddhism. The objective of Buddhism is to enhance one’s own wisdom, kindness and compassion; and ultimately to achieve unconditional happiness and enlightenment.
• Be kind to yourself. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies. Remember that all human beings are flawed and will make mistakes; ongoing rumination and self-loathing serves no benefit to you or anyone around you. Instead, practice self-forgiveness and coping tools that will help you to move forward in a more positive way.

4. How can I be a more compassionate parent?

Compassionate parenting is an essential component of positive parenting. Positive parents show compassion by:

• Avoiding labeling children (i.e., “the smart one,” “the athlete,” “the naughty one,” etc.), as doing so is hurtful and promotes both sibling rivalry and self-fulfilling prophecies.
• Be sensitive to your child’s developmental stage.
• Practice regular, open communication.
• Provide affection and emotional warmth.
• Empathize with your child’s feelings.
• Empower autonomy in order to support creativity, empowerment, and self-determination.
• Teach respect for other living creatures by teaching him/her how to care for and show kindness to animals.
• Practice positive discipline, which is warm and democratic, and never violent.
• Guide and teach your child by role modeling kind and compassionate behavior.
• Show optimism and help your child to believe in him/herself and the future.
• Provide unconditional love.

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Readers interested in finding academic articles focused on compassion might check-out the following psychological journals:

• Current Directions in Psychological Science
• Human Architecture : Journal of the Sociology of Self-Knowledge
• Human Development
• International Journal of Human Caring
• Cognition and Emotion
• Journal of Happiness Studies
• Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
• The Journal of Positive Psychology
• Journal of Research in Personality
• Journal of Traumatic Stress
• Mindfulness
• Motivation and Emotion

Along with psychology journals, medical (especially nursing) and social work journals are also excellent resources for learning about compassion.

Here are 10 examples:

• Ethics and Social Welfare
• The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
• Journal of Clinical Nursing
• Journal of Emergency Nursing
• Nursing Inquiry
• Palliative Medicine
• Qualitative Social Work
• Self and Identity
• Social Work
• Stress and Health

The biggest take-home message of this article is that compassion matters. There are numerous proven benefits of both self-compassion and compassion toward others, such as increased happiness, improved medical outcomes, reduced stress, reduced psychopathology, and increased social connectedness.

Compassion plays a vital role in the medical field, as well as those where workers consistently aid the suffering. Among patients, compassion has the power to increase coping and healing; and self-compassion is highly beneficial to healthcare workers. In high compassion-demanding occupations, it is essential that workers be supported such that the likelihood of compassion fatigue (e.g., burn-out) is reduced.

While some people are more compassionate than others, it is a quality that can be learned as evidenced by research interventions that have shown significant increases in compassion and related qualities.

Compassion is an essential element in society and is vital to the survival of the human race. Individuals and groups with power (i.e., police, policymakers, politicians, etc.) have an opportunity to contribute to more healthy, peaceful communities by practicing and promoting compassion. Serious societal problems (i.e., homelessness and recidivism) have been significantly reduced following compassionate, research-based interventions.

There are many ways in which individuals can practice compassion such as by being altruistic, avoiding judgment, being grateful, and by applying positive parenting techniques.

By remembering history— including where compassion was both lacking and in abundance— human beings will be more empowered to make compassionate and meaningful life choices. This is the first step toward creating the loving and peaceful society imagined by so many of us.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Self Compassion Exercises for free .

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You know articles like this are a dime a dozen and always state the obvious and can actually work with relatively normal people. Compassion can be a good thing and everyone knows it. But sometimes compassion is not a good thing and can even make things worse. For example, one may give a gift out of compassion to someone may misread the intent. And, sometimes when you show compassion by helping someone, and not especially expecting a thank you, it can hurt if the help goes unrecognized. If it happens once its not too bad and you can get over it. But, if the situation continues to happen, it can make you not want to share anymore with some people.

Steve, these are great challenging reflections. Such articles can feel trite, but it’s when we really sit and examine compassion in our inner life and in our relationships, and how it works, that they become meaningful. Your described situations in which compassion leads to ‘bad’ outcomes maybe are situations where people’s expectations are unrealistic that they know best what will be helpful to others or that they are able to control others’ response. Compassion is not the problem in these situations. The trouble is a lack of discernment about what will actually be of help to the other person. Truthfully, we can never know for sure how to help, but it doesn’t mean that compassion is any less valuable as a motivation. In fact, the not knowing may make compassion all the more important. If compassion is strong, we are more likely to keep trying to figure out how to be of help, even when we fail or have our efforts ignored. Maybe we even see that we have helped, and that feels good even though our efforts are ignored by others. That we we are rewarded intrinsically, even if no one notices from the outside. Maybe we realize that the part of us that wants to be thanked is actually self-centered, so we really were not acting entirely out of compassion after all? The intrinsic desire to help is what compassion is referring to, and it need not be impacted by whether or not we are acknowledged for helping or whether we are able to help. The desire is there, and it can be cultivated and sustained, and it can be extended to be more inclusive. over time. This great article explains why this is beneficial to ourselves, not just others! To learn more about compassion experientially, perhaps see The Compassion Shift at Emory University, a training program to make sense of these things on a practical, on-the-ground level.

An exceptionally good article addressing the most urgent need of society today. Compassion to others and self will enable practitioners (anyone including parents) to view their roles and life in a balance way. Compassion to others and self are equally important for the ministers of religions and their team/associates. I personally found this article very useful because I am a parent and I work with people who have autism and severe learning disabilities.

compassion is a valuable human quality for all ( most of all those in the helping professions) As an executive coach and church counselor I am often perplexed as to the dividing line between identifying with the client and /or keeping a professional distance; such that the client has the ownership of the issue and YOU the coach/counselor is the objective observer or solution provider.

Thank you so much for your article on compassion, highlighting it’s importance in today’s COVID-19 context and how sick the world would be without compassionate people around. It is due to lack of compassion that so much of stigma is created around COVID 19. Very true. Compassion promotes personal as well as Society’s well being. Thank you again.

Hi Sr. Mary, Thank you for your kind words. Indeed, the world would do well if we all worked hard to show one another that little bit more compassion in the wake of this crisis. I hope you are keeping safe and well. – Nicole | Community Manager

Your writing on compassion is spot on. Thank you for doing this article. I am sharing it with Compassionate Pomona and Compassionate California so that others can benefit from your research. You are right that what the world needs now is compassion in action everywhere.

Hi Diana, Couldn’t agree more. We’re glad to hear that this post resonated with you, and thank you for sharing it. – Nicole | Community Manager

Is this peer reviwed journal

Its informative article thanks.

Thanks, Heather, for this great overview. Some people fear that self-compassion leads to being too lazy. While being hard on oneself is certainly no good recipe for well-being, it has worked for many to be successful. Or so it seems. Do you know of any scientific research shedding light on this issue?

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What Is Compassion?

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Rachel Goldman, PhD FTOS, is a licensed psychologist, clinical assistant professor, speaker, wellness expert specializing in eating behaviors, stress management, and health behavior change.

Kevin Dodge/Getty

Signs of Compassion

Types of compassion, how to practice compassion, impact of compassion, how to be more compassionate, potential pitfalls of compassion.

Compassion involves feeling another person's pain and wanting to take steps to help relieve their suffering. The word compassion itself derives from Latin and means "to suffer together."

It is related to other emotions such as sympathy, empathy , and altruism , although the concepts have some key differences. Empathy refers more to the general ability to take another person's perspective and feel the emotions of others. Compassion, on the other hand, is what happens when those feelings of empathy are accompanied by the desire to help.

This article discusses the definition of compassion and how to recognize this emotion. It also covers some of the benefits of compassion and what you can do to become a more compassionate person.

Some signs that you have compassion for others include:

• Feeling like you have a great deal in common with other people, even if you are very different in many ways.
• Being able to understand what other people are going through and feeling their pain.
• Being mindful of other people's emotions, thoughts, and experiences.
• Taking action when you see that someone else is suffering.
• Having a high level of emotional intelligence so that you are able to understand, manage, and act on your own emotions as well as the emotions of others.
• Feeling gratitude when other people express compassion for your own hardships.

Compassion often comes in one of two forms, which vary depending on where these feelings are directed. Your experience of compassion may be either directed toward other people, or it may be directed inwardly toward yourself:

• Compassion for others : When you experience compassion for other people, you feel their pain and want to find a way to relieve their suffering. These feelings compel you to take action to do what you can to make the situation better.
• Self-compassion : This involves treating yourself with the same compassion and kindness that you would show to others. Rather than beating yourself up over mistakes you may have made in the past, you feel understanding, mindful, and accepting of yourself and your imperfections.

There are a number of different steps you can take to show compassion to others. 

• Speak with kindness
• Apologize when you've made a mistake
• Listen carefully and without judgment
• Encourage other people
• Offer to help someone with a task
• Be happy for someone else's success
• Accept people for who they are
• Forgive people for making mistakes
• Show respect
• Express gratitude and appreciation

When you practice compassion, you start by empathizing with another person's situation. You look at what they are going through without judgment and imagine how you might feel in their situation.

Compassion and empathy share common elements, but compassion goes a step beyond. Rather than just imagining yourself in their shoes, compassion drives you to take action to help that person. Because you are able to feel those emotions so keenly—almost as if it is happening to you—there is a strong motivation to find a way to change the situation or ease the other person's pain.

Compassion can have a positive impact on your life, ranging from improving your relationships to boosting your overall happiness. Some of the positive effects of compassion:

• Giving feels good : One of the reasons why compassion can be so effective is that both giving and receiving can improve your psychological well-being. Being the recipient of compassion can help you get the support you need to carry you through a difficult time. But giving compassion to others can be just as rewarding. For example, researchers have found that giving money to others who need it actually produces greater happiness rewards than spending it on ourselves.
• Compassionate people live longer : Engaging in activities such as volunteering to help those you feel compassion for can improve your longevity. One study found that people who volunteer out of concern for others tend to live longer than people who do not volunteer.
• Compassion contributes to a life of purpose : One study found that the happiness that comes from living a life of purpose and meaning—one that is fueled by kindness and compassion—can play a role in better health. In the study, participants who experience what is known as eudaimonic happiness—or the kind of happiness that comes from living a meaningful life that involves helping others—experienced lower levels of depression, stronger immunity, and less inflammation.
• Compassion improves relationships : Compassion can also help you build the social support and connections that are important for mental well-being. It can also protect your interpersonal relationships . Research suggests that compassion is a key predictor of the success and satisfaction of relationships.

According to one study published in the journal Emotion , compassion is the single most important predictor of a happy relationship. Interestingly, the study found that while people tend to gain the greatest benefits when their partner notices their acts of kindness, they actually experience benefits whether their partner notices or not. These findings suggest that compassion itself can be its own reward.

Compassion is good for both your physical and mental health. Not only that, it feels good to help others and can contribute to a greater sense of purpose and meaning in your life.

While some people tend to be more compassionate by nature, experts also suggest that there are steps you can take to cultivate a greater sense of compassion for both yourself and others:

• Bring your attention to the situation : The first component of compassion is to become more aware of what other people are experiencing. Imagine yourself in their shoes. Being able to see things from another person’s perspective can help you gain a sense of compassion for their situation. Practice putting yourself in someone else’s place and imagine how you might feel. Focus on feeling how they might be feeling.
• Let go of judgment : Accepting people as they are and avoiding judgment is important. Focus on accepting people for who they are without criticizing or blaming the victim .
• Practice mindfulness : Mindfulness is a practice of focusing on the present, becoming more aware of your own thoughts, and observing these thoughts without judging them. Research suggests that mindfulness-based interventions can be effective for improving self-compassion.
• Try loving-kindness meditation : This form of meditation, also known as compassion meditation, involves meditating while directing kind, compassionate thoughts toward yourself or others. Research suggests that this form of meditation can help people improve their connection to others and boost well-being.

One potential pitfall of compassion is that constant exposure to the distress of others may contribute to what is known as compassion fatigue.

What Is Compassion Fatigue?

Compassion fatigue involves feelings of physical and emotional exhaustion as well as a mental withdrawal from traumatized individuals. It can reduce feelings of empathy and compassion for people who are in need of help.

People who work in helping or caregiving roles (such as nurses, doctors, or emergency care workers) often experience an extreme state of tension as well as a preoccupation with those they are helping. Because of this, helpers can experience symptoms of trauma themselves, and this can potentially dampen their feelings of compassion.

Finding ways to combat compassion fatigue is particularly important in healthcare and other helping professions. Research suggests that interventions that involve mindfulness meditation can help people in these roles experience greater compassion for others, improve positive feelings, and reduce distress.

While it's good to have compassion for others, it's also crucial that you take the time you need for self-care.

A Word From Verywell

Compassion allows you to feel what others are feeling and motivates prosocial behaviors that can improve the well-being of others as well as improve your own physical and mental wellness. While some people experience compassion more often by nature, there are things that you can do to help improve your own ability to feel compassion for others.

Learning this ability takes some time and practice, but it's worth it to keep working on flexing your compassion skills. Being open to feeling what others are feeling can help you create deeper, more meaningful connections. Acting on these feelings of compassion can benefit others, but as the research suggests, sometimes compassion is its own reward.

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Sinclair S, Beamer K, Hack TF, et al. Sympathy, empathy, and compassion: A grounded theory study of palliative care patients' understandings, experiences, and preferences .  Palliat Med . 2017;31(5):437-447. doi:10.1177/0269216316663499

Dunn EW, Aknin LB, Norton MI. Prosocial spending and happiness: using money to benefit others pays off . Curr Dir Psychol Sci . 2014;23(1):41-47. doi:10.1177/0963721413512503)

Konrath S, Fuhrel-Forbis A, Lou A, Brown S. Motives for volunteering are associated with mortality risk in older adults . Health Psychology . 2012;31(1):87-96. doi:10.1037/a0025226

Fredrickson BL, Grewen KM, Coffey KA, et al. A functional genomic perspective on human well-being . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 2013;110(33):13684-13689. doi:10.1073/pnas.1305419110

Reis HT, Maniaci MR, Rogge RD. Compassionate acts and everyday emotional well-being among newlyweds . Emotion . 2017 Jun;17(4):751-763. doi:10.1037/emo0000281

Conversano C, Ciacchini R, Orrù G, Di Giuseppe M, Gemignani A, Poli A. Mindfulness, compassion, and self-compassion among health care professionals: what’s new? A systematic review . Front Psychol. 2020;11:1683. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01683

Zeng X, Chiu CP, Wang R, Oei TP, Leung FY. The effect of loving-kindness meditation on positive emotions: a meta-analytic review . Front Psychol . 2015;6:1693. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01693

Cetrano G, Tedeschi F, Rabbi L, et al. How are compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction affected by quality of working life? Findings from a survey of mental health staff in Italy .  BMC Health Serv Res . 2017;17(1):755. doi:10.1186/s12913-017-2726-x

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By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Compassion Defined

What is compassion.

Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” Among emotion researchers, it is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering.

Compassion is not the same as empathy or altruism , though the concepts are related. While empathy refers more generally to our ability to take the perspective of and feel the emotions of another person, compassion is when those feelings and thoughts include the desire to help. Altruism, in turn, is the kind, selfless behavior often prompted by feelings of compassion, though one can feel compassion without acting on it, and altruism isn’t always motivated by compassion.

While cynics may dismiss compassion as touchy-feely or irrational, scientists have started to map the biological basis of compassion, suggesting its deep evolutionary purpose . This research has shown that when we feel compassion, our heart rate slows down, we secrete the “bonding hormone” oxytocin, and regions of the brain linked to empathy , caregiving , and feelings of pleasure light up, which often results in our wanting to approach and care for other people.

For more: Learn about self-compassion and compassion fatigue . Read Dacher Keltner’s essay on “The Compassionate Instinct” and Paul Ekman’s “Taxonomy of Compassion ,” which reviews different types of compassion.

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Why Practice It?

Scientific research into the measurable benefits of compassion is young. Preliminary findings suggest, however, that being compassionate can improve health, well-being, and relationships. Many scientists believe that compassion may even be vital to the survival of our species , and they’re finding that its advantages can be increased through targeted exercises and practice. Here are some of the most exciting findings from this research so far.

• Compassion makes us feel good: Compassionate action (e.g., giving to charity) activates pleasure circuits in the brain, and compassion training programs, even very brief ones, strengthen brain circuits for pleasure and reward and lead to lasting increases in self-reported happiness .
• Being compassionate—tuning in to other people in a kind and loving manner—can reduce risk of heart disease by boosting the positive effects of the Vagus Nerve , which helps to slow our heart rate .
• One compassion training program has found that it makes people more resilient to stress; it lowers stress hormones in the blood and saliva and strengthens the immune response. Compassion training may also help us worry less and be more open to our negative emotions. 
• Compassion could improve our mental health : One research review found that practicing compassion meditation improved participants’ emotional life, positive thinking, relationships, and empathy.
• Brain scans during loving-kindness meditation, which directs compassion toward suffering, suggest that, on average, compassionate people’s minds wander less about what has gone wrong in their lives, or might go wrong in the future; as a result, they’re happier.
• Practicing compassion could make us more altruistic . In turn, it may also help us overcome empathic distress and become more resilient in the face of others’ suffering.
• Compassion helps make caring parents: Brain scans show that when people experience compassion, their brains activate in neural systems known to support parental nurturance and other caregiving behaviors.
• Compassion helps make better spouses: Compassionate people are more optimistic and supportive when communicating with others.
• Compassion helps make better friends: Studies of college friendships show that when one friend sets the goal to support the other compassionately, both friends experience greater satisfaction and growth in the relationship.
• Compassion helps make better doctors: Medical students who train in compassion feel less depressed and lonely, and avoid the typical declines in compassion that happen during medical school.
• Feeling compassion for one person makes us less vindictive toward others .
• Restraining feelings of compassion chips away at our commitment to moral principles.
• Employees who receive more compassion in their workplace see themselves, their co-workers, and their organization in a more positive light, report feeling more positive emotions like joy and contentment, and are more committed to their jobs. A compassionate workplace culture is linked to less burnout, greater teamwork, and higher job satisfaction.
• More compassionate societies —those that take care of their most vulnerable members, assist other nations in need, and have children who perform more acts of kindness—are the happier ones .
• Compassionate people are more socially adept, making them less vulnerable to loneliness; loneliness has been shown to cause stress and harm the immune system .

How Do I Cultivate It?

We often talk about some people as being more compassionate than others, but research suggests compassion isn’t something you’re born with or not. Instead, it can be strengthened through targeted exercises and practice. Here are some specific, science-based activities for cultivating compassion from our new site Greater Good in Action :

• Feeling supported: Think about the people you turn to when you’re distressed and recall times when you’ve felt comforted by them, which research says can help us to feel more compassionate toward others.
• Compassion meditation: Cultivate compassion toward a loved one, yourself, a neutral person, and even an enemy.
• Put a human face on suffering: When reading the news, look for profiles of specific individuals and try to imagine what their lives have been like.
• Eliciting altruism: Create reminders of connectedness.

Compassion training programs , such as those out of Emory University and Stanford University , are revealing how we can boost feelings of compassion in ourselves and others. Here are some of the best tips to emerge out of those programs, as well as other research.

• Look for commonalities: Seeing yourself as similar to others increases feelings of compassion. A recent study shows that something as simple as tapping your fingers to the same rhythm with a stranger increases compassionate behavior.
• Calm your inner worrier: When we let our mind run wild with fear in response to someone else’s pain (e.g., What if that happens to me?), we inhibit the biological systems that enable compassion. The practice of mindfulness can help us feel safer in these situations, facilitating compassion .
• Encourage cooperation, not competition, even through subtle cues: A seminal study showed that describing a game as a “Community Game” led players to cooperate and share a reward evenly; describing the same game as a “Wall Street Game” made the players more cutthroat and less honest. This is a valuable lesson for teachers, who can promote cooperative learning in the classroom.
• See people as individuals (not abstractions) : When presented with an appeal from an anti-hunger charity, people were more likely to give money after reading about a starving girl than after reading statistics on starvation—even when those statistics were combined with the girl’s story.
• Don’t play the blame game: When we blame others for their misfortune, we feel less tenderness and concern toward them.
• Respect your inner hero: When we think we’re capable of making a difference , we’re less likely to curb our compassion.
• Notice and savor how good it feels to be compassionate. Studies have shown that practicing compassion and engaging in compassionate action bolsters brain activity in areas that signal reward .
• To cultivate compassion in kids, start by modeling kindness: Research suggests compassion is contagious , so if you want to help compassion spread in the next generation of young men and women, lead by example.
• Curb inequality: Research suggests that as people feel a greater sense of status over others , they feel less compassion.
• Don’t be a sponge : When we completely take on other people’s suffering as our own, we risk feeling personally distressed, threatened, and overwhelmed; in some cases, this can even lead to burnout . Instead, try to be receptive to other people’s feelings without adopting those feelings as your own.

Kindness and Compassion for Students

What are they.

Compassion is defined as the feeling that arises when you perceive another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering.

Compassion can arise from empathy —the more general ability to understand and feel others’ emotions—but goes further by also including the desire to help. Of course, we can feel compassion without acting on it, and not all helpful acts are motivated by compassion.

When compassion does lead to action, we often call the result kindness. Kindness always includes the intention to benefit other people, especially (though not always) at a cost or risk to ourselves.

Research has shown that compassion and kindness are deeply rooted in human nature–our first impulse is to cooperate rather than compete. Even toddlers spontaneously help people in need out of genuine concern for their welfare. This innate kindness, however, often gets lost in a society built on competition. Schools have a golden opportunity to cultivate the compassionate side of students by creating a school culture in which kindness is valued and practiced.

• A science teacher sets up his classroom to cultivate students’ innate kindness and cooperation, rather than their selfish and competitive natures. He takes the time at the start of the school year to get to know students and for students to get to know each other by doing some fun icebreakers from Playworks, like Crooked Circle .
• To create an inclusive and connected classroom climate, students sit in a large circle for discussions and in small groups during regular instruction.
• Everyone is encouraged to practice self-care, taking short breaks when they need to in the “Chillax Corner”, and to take care of each other—noticing when a fellow student might be having a hard time and connecting with him or her.
• The curriculum is taught with a “prosocial” lens, taking into consideration how the scientific content might be used to benefit students’ communities and society in general.

Children’s understanding of kindness and compassion change as they mature. For example, their ability to be compassionate grows as they develop their perspective-taking ability and emotion regulation. Elementary age students and younger may view kindness mainly in concrete ways, such as in terms of the consequences of actions; whereas, older children and teens can appreciate the intentions behind the actions, allowing them to better navigate complex situations.

• A first grader might say kindness is asking someone to play, taking turns, or helping someone who is hurt.
• A high schooler gives his friend a hard time for choosing to go to the movies rather than study for an important test. At first, his friend is upset, but then realizes that the admonishment was made in his best interest.

Why Are They Important?

Research has found that practicing compassion and kindness can improve health, well-being, and relationships, as well as academic achievement. Of course, beyond our own lives, these qualities strengthen our communities and may even be vital to the survival of our species as a whole.

Kindness and compassion make us happier.

• Compassion training programs, even very brief ones, strengthen reward circuits in the brain and lead to lasting increases in self-reported happiness.
• Compassion training also enables us be more altruistic , and kindness does seem to be its own reward —giving to others activates those pleasure circuits and actually makes people, including kids , happier than spending money on themselves.

Compassion makes us more resilient.

• Feeling compassion helps us to overcome empathic distress —or the feeling for others that makes us so upset that we want to run away rather than help. We are better able to handle the strong emotions that occur when faced with others’ suffering.

Kindness and compassion are good for our health.

• Feeling compassionate can reduce the risk of heart disease by helping slow the heart rate , and compassion training has been shown to reduce stress hormones and boost the immune system.
• Acts of kindness such as donating money help lower blood pressure .
• People who volunteer are healthier overall, and teens who volunteer to help younger kids show reduced risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Kindness and compassion improve our relationships.

• Compassion is associated with more satisfaction and growth in friendships and makes us less vindictive towards others.
• Compassionate behavior is highly valued in romantic relationships: In surveys of over 10,000 people across 37 cultures, kindness was rated the most important quality in a mate, and the only one universally required.
• Altruism promotes social connections in general and creates ripple effects of generosity in communities.

Kindness and compassion benefit education.

• Preschoolers and elementary schoolers prompted to perform acts of kindness show increased well-being and social competence; in turn, prosocial (kind and helpful) peer interactions increase middle schoolers’ positive emotions and life satisfaction.
• Prosocial behavior in elementary school predicts higher academic achievement in middle school, and it predicts academic achievement in high school.
• High-quality service learning programs, which put compassion into action by combining classroom learning with real-world community service, have been shown to improve academic performance, student attitudes and behavior, and school climate.
• When high schoolers see their school as a kind place, they are more interested and motivated to learn .

Practice Collections

Seeds of Self-Compassion

Art on Purpose

Assessing Your School Climate

Courage Blooms

Inspiring Climate Awareness Through Gratitude

Courage Creatures

Identifying Acts of Courage

Courageous and Compassionate Citizens

Developing the Courage to Speak Up

The Bystander’s Dilemma: What Does Courage Look Like?

Finding Awe in Collective Acts of Kindness

Creating Musical Playlists for the Classroom

The Beauty of Collective Effervescence

Finding Awe In Everyday Moral Beauty

Letting Music Shape You

People Can Change: Recognizing Our Potential for Growth

Listening with Compassion

Building Collaborative Classroom Norms

GGIE Online Courses for Educators

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Why is Compassion Important

How it works

Albert Schweitzer once said that “The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.” Compassion is feeling sympathy, being kind, and caring for others. In William Shakespeare’s play King Lear, an important theme is that it’s important to show kindness to others, even in difficult times. Shakespeare demonstrates this theme through King Lear’s conversations with his daughters, especially the youngest, Cordelia, and his conversations with his friends. King Lear follows the story of an aging king and his daughters as he gives up his throne.

The majority of the play focuses on Lear’s descent into madness at the cruel hands of his daughters Regan and Goneril, and concludes with their death and Lear’s reconciliation with his other daughter Cordelia.

Along the way, Lear’s interactions with his friends and daughters show the audience the power of compassion. King Lear’s daughters are a primary example of Shakespeare’s demonstration of this theme. Very early in the play, after Lear has divvied his kingdom up between his daughters, his noble advisor Kent attempts to persuade Lear that he’s judged his youngest daughter Cordelia’s love too harshly. “Answer my life my judgement, thy youngest daughter does not love thee least, nor are those empty-hearted whose low sound reverbs no hollowness.”  After the false, flattering words from his daughters Goneril and Regan, Lear’s inability to see that Cordelia’s love was too great to be put into words caused him to lose his daughter and his advisor Kent, who was exiled when his compassion caused Lear to become furious at him.

Kent knows his attempt to show the king how to fix his relationship with honesty and compassion will cost him his title, his status and Lear’s trust, yet he does it anyway. Eventually, Lear tries to mend the rift he’s caused with Cordelia. “Be your tears wet? Yes, faith. I pray, weep not. If you have poison for me, I will drink it. I know you do not love me, for your sisters have, as I do remember, done me wrong. You have some cause; they have not,” King Lear says in Act 4, Scene 7 in lines 69 to 73 as he apologizes to Cordelia when he realizes he was wrong and misjudged her. Cordelia’s response, “No cause, no cause,” shows her continued love for her father, as is also demonstrated in Act 4, Scene 3, lines 25-30

“Faith, once or twice she heaved the name of ‘father’ pantingly forth as if it pressed her heart, cried ‘sisters, sisters! Shame of ladies, sisters! Kent, father, sisters! What, i’ th’ storm, i’ th’ night? Let pity not be believed.’ There she shook the holy water from her heavenly eyes, and clamor moistened. Then away she started to deal with grief alone.” Despite being banished by her father, she still loves him and grieves for him. Her love resonates throughout the story and she is the only character to stand by Lear after he has lost everything – his crown, his mind, and his cruel, oldest daughters.

Regan is one of those cruel older daughters, and very early on in the story she shows the audience her cold heart. “…Shut up your doors: he is attended by a desperate train, and what they may to incense him to, being apt to have his ear abused, wisdom bids fear.”  Her husband Cornwall responds with “Shut up your doors, my lord. ‘Tis a wild night. My Regan counsels well. Come out o’ th’ storm.”  Not only does Regan force her father out into a dangerous storm, she locks the door behind him as well. Cornwall, and especially Regan, show no kindness to Lear throughout the entire story, even though he is Regan’s father and their former king.

The drastic consequences of this lack of kindness towards Lear eventually cause the deaths of both Regan and her husband, as Cornwall is murdered in a duel by Lear’s friend and Regan is poisoned by her jealous sister Goneril. They would never have started fighting unless Lear had driven a wedge between them with the division of the kingdom. Goneril, Regan’s older sister, also shows no compassion for Lear. Gloucester, a friend of Lear’s, tells Regan that “I would not see thy cruel nails pluck out Lear’s poor old eyes, nor thy fierce sister in his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs.” (III, vii, ll. 55-57). Regan’s nails are described as “cruel”, and Goneril’s “boarish fangs” depict her as a savage animal who shows mercy and kindness to no one, not even her own father.

Regan and Goneril were each given half the kingdom by their father, and ruled over it for a short period of time; however, at the end of the play, Goneril poisons Regan and kills herself. This commentary by Shakespeare shows the audience that while cruelty and anger may initially get you farther than compassion, kindness will be better for everyone in the end. In addition to his daughters, Lear’s friends are among the other characters who demonstrate Shakespeare’s theme of compassion throughout the story. In Act 3, Scene 4, Lear, whose mind is quickly deteriorating, asks Kent, “Wilt break my heart?” Kent, who remained undyingly faithful to the aging king, replied with “I had rather break my own.” The dedication, loyalty and empathy towards Lear that Kent demonstrates through the entire play show the audience the strength of Kent’s love towards the king, even after the king banishes him early in the story.

The adoration that Kent has for King Lear reveals his strength of character and loyalty to the king, as not many people could continue to love and help someone after they have been mistreated by that someone the way Kent was. Just a bit later in Act 3, Scene 4 during lines 23 to 27, Lear shows his own compassion for one of the first times in the play. “Prithee, go in thyself. Seek thine own ease. This tempest will not give me leave to ponder on things that would hurt me more. But I’ll go in. (To Fool) In, boy. Go first. You houseless poverty- nay, get thee in. I’ll pray, and then I’ll sleep.” His telling the Fool to go in ahead of him and make himself comfortable shows how he is putting his dear servant before himself, even in the depths of his madness. His treating a servant better than himself, a former king, shows how much empathy Lear has gained throughout the story.

Several scenes earlier in the story, Lear realizes how uninformed he was when he says “Poor naked wretches, whereso’er you are, that bide the pelting of this pitiless storm, how shall your houseless heads and unfed sides, your loop’d and window’d raggedness, defend you from seasons such as these? O, I have ta’en too little care of this! Take physic, pomp; expose thyself to feel what wretches feel, that thou mayst shake the superflux to them, and show the heavens more just.”  He’s feeling for the first time what it’s like to struggle and be poor, and he wishes, now that he knows what the poorest people go through, that he had done something more about it while he was king. It took losing his power and his mind to make Lear realize that he could have done something to help these people, which is Shakespeare’s way of telling his audience that they should always try to better others’ lives, even if they don’t fully understand what others are going through until they experience it themselves.

The theme of “It’s important to show kindness to others, even in difficult times” is heavily implied throughout Shakespeare’s King Lear, demonstrating why caring about other people is valuable. His quiet, loving daughter Cordelia’s love is explained by Kent after Lear banishes her, and Lear later apologizes to Cordelia, mending their relationship after a period of argument. His other daughters, Regan and Goneril, end up dead after they show no kindness to their father. Even Lear’s own compassion was demonstrated through his sympathy for the Fool in his wild madness. Kent, also, showed great kindness to Lear despite Lear’s hatred of him. Throughout the story, Shakespeare demonstrates that we should always try to be kind even when bad things may be happening in your life. After all, according to Albert Schweitzer, the meaning of life is to show compassion to others.

Works Cited

• Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Trans. John Crowther. Spark Publishing, 2003.

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The Value of Compassion in Teaching

Four simple ways to model and promote compassion, which is especially important for students with adverse childhood experiences.

I began my teaching career as a transplant to the Memphis community and felt an enormous culture shock. I quickly learned that many of my students needed a lot of support due to the troubling circumstances they faced on a daily basis—Memphis is one of the most violent cities in the United States.

At first I wasn’t sure what difference I could make in this situation. However, over time I learned that to combat the violence my students saw every day I needed to instill love and compassion into their learning experience. I needed to teach them how to care for one another as well as themselves. And I needed to lead by example as a loving, caring, and empathetic teacher.

One day after school, I had a conversation with a student who told me that he moved his bed into the middle of his bedroom every night to avoid the stray bullets that had hit his home before. He explained that this was why he was so tired in class—he didn’t sleep well due to constant fear and anxiety.

This is only one of the many examples I’ve accumulated over the years of the influence of violence on children’s academic success. Recent school shootings have heightened the fear of violence across school campuses, and now more than ever there’s an urgent need to teach children the power of love, kindness, and compassion.

Simple Ways to Teach Compassion

Practice what you preach: Teachers should model compassion and acts of compassion on a daily basis, by complimenting students on their successes, inquiring about their day or their weekend activities, and addressing all bullying behaviors consistently.

Also, I make sure to tell my students positive affirmations each morning, such as, “You are smart” and “You are capable,” to display my beliefs in their abilities. Our school’s morning announcements end with the phrase, “We love you, and make today great.” Affirmations such as these, from a whole school community, allow love, compassion, and support to be displayed to each and every student on a consistent basis.

Care for a pet: Allowing a pet in the classroom helps students learn about responsibility beyond taking care of themselves. A pet also shows students how to share responsibility among peers and how to trust one another with varying amounts of accountability.

A grant from Petco is a great way to receive assistance in obtaining a classroom pet. The easy-to-complete grant helps teachers get a variety of pets to educate students in the classroom.

In my classroom, we adopted three hermit crabs, which students were allowed to take home over the weekends. They needed to have parental approval to care for the pet, and they took a checklist of responsibilities they had to account for each day.

I used this opportunity as a classroom management tool, since only those students who exhibited excellent character were allowed to care for the pets by themselves.

Lend a helping hand: Allowing students to engage in community service projects and diversity activities helps them learn how to care for others as well. Some of the community service projects incorporated by my school are: canned food drives during the holiday season, spare change drives during times of natural disasters, and community beautification projects such as our school garden. Students can also be encouraged to volunteer for activities like feeding the homeless.

When students have an opportunity to lend a helping hand, it provides them with knowledge about current events as well as ways that they can help provide assistance and create change for others. For students who regularly receive support from others, showing them how to lend a helping hand builds self-esteem, motivation, and confidence.

Play the Compassion Games: The global competition called the Compassion Games is a spin on The Hunger Games —students can compete in tracking their acts of kindness once you register their class online (individuals can play on their own, too). Teachers can log their students’ acts of kindness via the website, and students compete with their peers around the country and the globe to see who has the most compassion.

The competition runs in April and September, and students and teachers inspire the movement of kindness by tracking and accumulating service projects and/or missions of compassion, thus instilling these principles of moral character on a global scale. I brought this community engagement experience into my classroom in order to promote acts of compassion within the school and our local community.

As I reflect upon my teaching experience and the community I call home, I find myself constantly thinking about the future of my students. As I continue to see violence throughout the community that surrounds them, I feel that a shift toward lessons encompassing love, compassion, and kindness is a priority. Such lessons must become a focal point in academic communities in order to promote and inspire significant change.

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Why Compassion Matters 

Jun 16, 2020

In the public health field, just like in many industries, compassion is central to what we do. Compassion is what makes us human and allows us to engage with others. By being more compassionate as a society, we can reduce struggling; both for ourselves and for others.

Why is Compassion Important? 

Compassion is important because it promotes meaningful connections, facilitates problem-solving, and improves health and wellbeing. Compassion, at its core, is about putting aside judgment and refusing to turn away from challenging situations. It’s about understanding the struggles of another person and wanting to help. 

Humans thrive in communities–we are meant to be social. And, compassion is a critical tool in creating strong connections and building relationships. By truly understanding and caring about what others are experiencing, you become better able to respond in helpful ways. Compassion can help you approach situations with kindness and interest, an approach that creates trust. From that strong foundation, lasting relationships can be built and potential problems can be tackled together.   

Compassion is shown to improve health and wellness because of its ability to drive meaningful interactions. It pushes us to address inequality, cruelty, and the struggles of others. It encourages us to be kind. It allows us to see others and how we can help them or hold space for them. And, because we’re social animals, we may find ourselves unable to be happy all of the time if others are suffering. 

How Can We Foster a More Compassionate Community? 

A community that does its best to care for all its members will have less suffering. Everyone would have a place to live. Those struggling with addiction would get access to resources and treatment. People experiencing mental illness or a crisis would receive care, treatment, and ongoing community support. With total compassion and tenacious action from everyone, the community would thrive. 

Unfortunately, this is not often the case. We may find ourselves engaged in communities that are distant and disconnected. We may see those around us suffering and turn a blind eye because we don’t know how to help. Yes, large issues like homelessness and mental illness seem daunting, but the first step is to acknowledge they exist. From there, we can take the following steps to become better, more compassionate advocates.

Engage with people who are different from you

Getting outside of our comfort zone can be scary, but getting to know people with different perspectives is an important part of understanding where they are coming from. By seeing and understanding someone else’s point of view, we see them for who they are: a human trying their best, just like us.

Challenge prejudices

In order to be a compassionate person, we must let go of prejudice. We may have many prejudices, even some that we aren’t aware we have. One unfortunate, yet common, example is the belief that homeless individuals are undeserving of housing because they “haven’t worked hard enough…” or worse. We know that most judgments against the homeless community are untrue and biased, but to realize that, we have to take an honest look at what is going on. Many individuals who experience homelessness work incredibly hard. Some fell on bad luck. Others are coping with severe mental illness. Some face extreme societal barriers that left them unable to find long-term housing. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to reasons why people find themselves homeless.

When we judge others, we place a societal barrier on them. This judgment can lead to the individual facing further hardships. Without compassion, understanding, and the advocacy of others, individuals may lack the necessary resources, opportunities, and care to improve their current situation.  

So, before you judge someone, put yourself in their shoes. Think through the hard questions so you can understand their circumstances. Imagine it was you. How would you want to be treated? Now, think about ways in which you can sustainably help. This may include recurring donations , volunteering , or speaking up against injustice. 

Take action

Compassion isn’t simply about understanding someone else’s situation; it’s also about being inspired to act. For example, showing compassion to people with mental illness means taking the time to listen to them and support them. It means being there for them and letting them know they can count on you. It may mean listening, helping them find services or resources, advocating for better healthcare, or talking to your legislators and communities about the necessity of affordable care.

Compassion at Guild

Compassion is critical to what we do at Guild. We meet our clients where they’re at, both emotionally and geographically. Our staff understand barriers and can often relate to the struggles of our clients. And, at our core, we believe every person is worthy of care, dignity, and help. 

If you are struggling with your mental health or find yourself experiencing chronic homelessness, we can help. Call our Community Access team at 651-925-8490 to learn more. If you are looking to make a difference in your community, you can volunteer for Guild. Email [email protected] or visit our volunteer page to learn more. 

Six Habits of Highly Empathic People , Greater Good Magazine

What Compassion Is , Psychology Today

How to Love Someone With a Mental Illness , National Alliance on Mental Illness

Practicing Self-Compassion When you Have a Mental Illness , PsychCentral

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• Volume 18, Issue 3
• Compassion is an essential component of good nursing care and can be conveyed through the smallest actions
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• Katherine Curtis
• University of Surrey, School of Health Sciences , Surrey , UK
• Correspondence to : Dr Katherine Curtis, University of Surrey, School of Health Sciences, DK Building Guildford, Surrey GU2 7TE, UK; k.curtis{at}surrey.ac.uk

https://doi.org/10.1136/eb-2014-102025

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Commentary on : Bramley L , Matiti M . How does it really feel to be in my shoes? Patients’ experiences of compassion within nursing care and their perceptions of developing compassionate nurses . J Clin Nurs 2014 ; 23 : 2790 – 9 . OpenUrl CrossRef PubMed

Implications for practice and research

Patients’ experiences of compassion and lack of compassion contribute to current understanding of complexity within compassionate nursing practice.

Patients believe that nurses can develop compassionate practice through exposure to vignettes of their experiences.

Further research on patient experiences could help identify how to enable ‘fleeting acts’ that convey compassion.

Compassion is not a new concept within healthcare . 1 However, compassion has become the focus of much research and debate during the past 10 years, following reports of lack of compassion within UK healthcare practice. This recent intense focus has addressed many aspects of care practices and education, recognising that compassion is a complex concept. 2 This study adds a further dimension to understand the complexity of compassion, through a focus on patients’ perceptions.

Three main themes were found within the data: (1) patients saw compassion as based on acts that demonstrated human relationships ‘knowing me and giving me your time’; (2) patients believed the impact of compassion was a sense of empathising with their situation or ‘being in their shoes’; (3) compassion was the essence of nursing and required communication alongside inherent values-based care.

The study provides a further contribution to understand compassion within healthcare practice through the patient's experience and to promot and develop compassionate nursing.

During the past 10 years, reports of poor standards of care and outright cruelty have frequently been in the press and quite rightly have caused outrage within and outside healthcare professions. Compassion has been the focus of numerous recent research studies that have led to debates on how best to promote compassion within healthcare and health professional education. Some commentators reflect longingly back to several decades ago when healthcare systems supported a different and more limited scope of practice for nursing and where organisations supported higher levels of qualified staff to patient acuity. They suggest that nursing should go back to its ‘old ways’. They also suggest individual or society morality and the changes in nurse education are responsible for deficits in compassion today. However, identifying and correcting the ‘fault’ in the system is not as simple as some suggest. Time cannot be turned back and why would society want to when some of those ‘old ways’ included: parents kept away from their hospitalised children; people with mental health problems being shut way in institutions and restrained; far less sophisticated and less effective surgical and medical treatments for trauma and disease.

This study reaffirms compassion within 21st century healthcare as a complex concept. It has multiple predisposing and constraining factors within today's practice and education environments. 3 Compassionate practice does not simply rely on an individual demonstrating empathy and kindness but on the moral, emotional and organisational environment within which that individual learns their caring craft. 4 , 5 Attempts to identify and address deficits in compassion require recognition of this complexity in order to avoid over-simplified or single focused solutions. Dr Jocelyn Cornwell explained this clearly at the Kings Fund ‘One year on from Francis’ event, suggesting how UK healthcare systems, within which compassion is an expectation, are perfectly designed to produce the results they currently get. 6 It is therefore important to consider the findings from this study within a whole system approach to improving compassionate healthcare provision.

• Leninger MM

Competing interests None.

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Student Essays

Essay on Compassion | Meaning, Purpose, Importance of Compassion in Life

Compassion is the powerful motivating force that is essentially important in our lives. The following essay, written by our experts, sheds light upon the meaning, purpose and importance of having compassion in life This essay is quite helpful for children & students in their school exams, college test, etc

Essay on Compassion | Meaning, Purpose & Importance of having Compassion in Life

The Compassion is an emotional energy that we feel for someone or something else and which draws us to offer our support. If we have compassion for someone in need, it means that we feel their pain in our own hearts and are motivated to alleviate it in some way.

On a broader scale, compassion is loving kindness. It’s the heartfelt intention to offer hope and support, to feel someone else’s pain as if it is our own and to offer help.

>>>>>>> Related Post:    Essay on Where there’s a Will there’s a Way

Compassion vs Empathy:

Empathy can be defined as, “the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions.”

While both compassion and empathy are about relating to the feelings of others, empathy is more focused on the other person’s emotions. Compassion expands that focus to include a desire to help. It shows up as wanting to support, to be there for someone in a time of need, and to offer help.

Empathy often causes an emotional resonance within us that motivates us to action, which is an aspect of compassion. However, empathy can be limited by our own feelings and experiences. For example, if someone else is feeling sad, but the only thing you can relate to in that moment is your own sadness, you may feel empathy for them but not be able to experience their sadness fully. This might lead you to try to cheer them up instead of letting them feel what they need to feel in order to heal.

On the other hand, compassion is more about emotional resonance and less about our own emotions. Because of this, it can be a more effective motivator for both giving and receiving help.

Kinds of Compassion

Compassion can be broken down into two categories: familial and altruistic. Familial love is the kind of compassion that comes from our personal family experiences. Whenever we feel love for someone in our family, we are experiencing familial compassion. For example, your parents showed you love and support when you were growing up—those are moments of familial compassion.

Altruistic love is the kind that focuses on loving others without any expectation for reciprocity. It’s the kind of love that you can feel for people you don’t know or have just met. It’s what leads to charity, volunteering, and philanthropy. People who dedicate their lives to helping others are often motivated by altruistic love.

Compassion in our daily Life

Having compassion for ourselves and others is an important part of keeping our hearts open. We all experience challenges in life that can cause us to shut down and close our hearts. When we have compassion for ourselves in these moments, it can prevent us from closing down further.

Compassion is also often necessary when helping others. If we are trying to support a homeless person on the street, for example, it’s much more helpful if we can offer them compassion. If we are judgmental of their situation, if we think that they “should” be doing something about it or that this is “their own fault,” we are not offering effective support. The same can be said for trying to help someone who is grieving, or a person struggling with anxiety.

It’s important to receive compassion as well as offer it. We all need support sometimes, and when we don’t get it, we can feel even worse about ourselves and the situation. If you are going through a tough time, it’s important to receive compassion from others to keep your heart open.

In order to offer compassion, we have to practice awareness of the suffering in our world and take a stand against it. We can’t offer compassion if we don’t know about the problem. In addition, mindful awareness of our own thoughts and feelings is a crucial part of compassion. Without self-awareness we can’t know what others need and we won’t be able to relate to them properly.

Developing Compassion in Life

Compassion can be developed by practicing mindfulness and meditation. Mindfulness is the practice of keeping our attention on the present moment and noticing how we’re feeling. We can think of this as “taking a moment” to check in with ourselves. Meditation is another way to practice mindfulness.

Compassion can also be encouraged by focusing on people’s beneficial qualities rather than their shortcomings or mistakes. If you focus mainly on the negative qualities of someone who is suffering, it can be harder to feel compassion for them. Another way to develop more compassion is by trying to imagine

>>>>>>>> Related Post:    Essay on Loyalty, Value & Importance

Compassion is essential to keeping our hearts open, and developing more of it will ultimately help us build better relationships with others. When we feel compassion, we feel motivated to help and support others, but it’s important to recognize that compassion is a whole-hearted feeling, not an emotion. Therefore it’s important that we also receive compassion from others, especially when we need it.

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Compassion: what it is and why it matters in medicine

'Many medical students are demoralised by an impersonal system before they even begin'

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If you were to comb through scientific literature, you may notice that there’s something capable of reducing post-operative pain, boosting the survival chance of cancer patients , lowering the mortality rate in high risk cardiac patients and cutting the hospitalization rate for diabetics . As if that wasn’t enough, it also boosts the immune system .

So what is this mysterious substance? It’s compassion, or better still, compassionate doctors. Before you stop reading, don’t make the mistake of confusing compassion with pity or commiseration.

Compassion isn't a single, sympathetic utterance, but is rather made up of presence and engagement that suffuses an entire conversation .

The importance of compassion may unsettle doctors who think their duty is to be technically proficient and up-to-date, those who think that it’s a natural quality you either have or don’t have, as well as certain ethicists who think that doctors need to maintain a professional distance from their patients.

But it is central to the welfare of patients. Dr. Robert Youngson, an anaesthesiologist, has launched a campaign to make healthcare more compassionate. According to his research , there are two type of doctors who fit the profile:

1) Empathetic doctors: those who naturally grasp that the whole point of empathy is to focus attention on the patient.

2) Doctors who have successfully attended a doctor patient communication skills course. Communication skills can be taught.

For example, a good technique for showing compassion, is simple: 3 T’s. Talk or listen, take time and touch. Merely taking the time to talk and listen to patients is comforting, as is a doctor’s touch .

Moreover, we must leave our empathetic abilities to guide us through our work, we should develop our compassion as a gift everyone can use.

How many doctors have become cold and distant after losing their freedom and being forced to work as small cogs in a big machine? How many students have become unenthusiastic or demotivated before even getting their medical degree? This is a pedagogical mistake due to a depersonalizing education system: unconcerned and unable to give full support to students, leaving them alone and without a role model.

Scientific literature proves that this argument can be applied both to single professionals and organisations. Personality, values and behaviour reflect individual performances, which are the road to failure or success for each organisation. The doctor-patient relationship is part of the healing process.

Biologically speaking, empathy can be explained by " Mirror neurons ." These are a type of brain cell that fires when someone performs an action, and also when a person watches someone else performing the same action.

They were discovered back in the 90s, by a team of Italian researchers who found individual neurons in the brains of monkeys that fired both when the monkeys grabbed an object and also when the monkeys watched another primate grab the same object.

But mirror neurons also exist in the brain areas that are in charge of emotions.

This means that we are able to recognize other people’s emotions simply by observing them. When we observe someone, these mirror neurons are activated and allow us to at least partly feel the emotions that the person we are observing is feeling.

These “empathic” mirrors are triggered both when we experience an emotion and when we observe somebody who is experiencing the same emotion. This extraordinary achievement provides the neurophysiological grounds for empathy.

“It’s the relationship that heals”, says Dr. Irvin D. Yalom, Psychiatry professor at Stanford University; he underlines the importance of qualitative relationships over theory. A relationship is strictly personal, a good relationship is based on care and the will to relieve patients’ suffering.

According to the American psychologist Carl Rogers, there are three main ingredients to a good doctor-patient relationship: empathy, honesty and genuineness .

Rollo May, psychologist and theologian, applies the Greek word “agape” or the Latin “caritas” to compassion to underline what is essential in a therapeutic relationship: an emotion of regard and affection (it applies to both “agape” and “caritas”). He shares the Royal College of General Practitioners’ (RCGP) point of view, whose motto is: “Cum Scientia caritas - Compassion with Knowledge”. It all seems to fit.

If we work on patient-centered care, if the patient himself feels that he’s taken seriously and the doctor addresses his needs, this will lead to reduced healthcare waste .

Our purpose is to stimulate a debate on how to improve medical training, given the positive results of the researches; a debate on being both up-to-date and compassionate.

At the edge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a wave of digital-era change, compassion is still a valuable tool for those who want to shape innovations rather than being overwhelmed by them.

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Why Kindness Matters

Boosts to life satisfaction and physical and mental well-being..

Posted March 8, 2023 | Reviewed by Vanessa Lancaster

• What Is Resilience?
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• Showing up kindly for others benefits both parties.
• Kindness has the power to boost satisfaction, happiness, and physical and mental well-being.
• Each of us has the capacity to show up kindly and make a difference in the world of another.

Kindness is about showing up in the world with compassion and acting for the greater good of all. While being nice is about being polite, pleasant, and agreeable and doing what we think we should, kindness goes a step beyond.

Kind humans know that life is hard, messy, and complex. Yet they understand that people are doing their best with the tools, resources, and experience they carry. Charles Glassman captured this by saying, “Kindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle.”

Many people view kindness as a weakness, but it's quite the opposite. It is a sign of strength. It is moving from "me" to "we," seeing the bigger picture, and loaning someone your strength and support. Supporting someone by doing whatever you can, wherever you are, with whatever you have is a sign of who you are—a kind human.

Kindness is doing the things that may go without acknowledgment and thanks. Authentic and intentional kindness doesn’t expect anything in return. We can practice kindness for kindness’ sake, not for the personal gain or the approval of others.

Kindness is a universal language that can bring people together regardless of age, race, ethnicity , religion, status, and identity . The good news is that it’s completely free too! I don’t think the saying “kindness makes the world go ‘round” came about without reason.

Benefits of Kindness

Most of us will have heard that "doing good is good for you" or "it’s better to give than to receive." It may be a surprise to learn that the research genuinely supports this. When we show up for others kindly, the benefits go both ways. Practicing kindness for the sake of kindness is one of the greatest gifts we can give to others and ourselves.

Research shows that being kind boosts the production of the feel-good hormones (serotonin and dopamine ), which give feelings of satisfaction and well-being, and activate the pleasure and reward areas in the brain of the givers and receivers. Endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller, can also be released and contribute to a "helper’s high." Kindness also fosters our sense of belonging and helps us build and strengthen our relationships (Hamilton, 2017).

Research shows that performing acts of kindness and helping others improves the happiness of the helper (Curry et al., 2018; Hamilton, 2017). A study by Rowland and Curry (2019) found that people who performed kindness activities for seven days experienced greater happiness. The increase in happiness was true whether the social tie was a friend, family member, stranger, or themselves. As you might expect, the more kind activities one does, the greater the boost in happiness. Even just observing acts of kindness had positive effects on one’s happiness.

In his book, The Five Side Effects of Kindness , David Hamilton discusses how we experience the effects of kindness throughout our entire nervous system . He suggests that kindness is good for the heart because the warm feelings we get help to generate oxytocin , which can reduce our blood pressure and stress hormone, cortisol. He also supports the idea that kindness is contagious and how acting kindly can create a ripple effect and inspire others to do the same.

Ways to Practice Kindness

Here are some ways you can practice kindness:

• Be kind to yourself. In my last post , I talked about how we could all use a gentle reminder about being a little kinder to ourselves. For many of us, showing up kindly starts with repairing the relationship we have with ourselves. I provided some restorative and practical ideas for how we can start to show up kindly for ourselves. When we are kinder with ourselves, we are kinder to others.
• Practice the kindergarten basics. Manners, turn-taking, including others, and comforting that friend who fell and scraped their knee. A kind environment is the compound of many small, kind acts.
• Show gratitude . When we feel grateful, we need to share this with others. Recognize and bring attention to what uplifts you. Tell someone they are doing a great job. End your work week by emailing someone who helped you out that week. Text or call a loved one to tell them they make a difference in your life.
• Listen to understand, not respond or problem-solve . So often, when others are talking, we think about how we will reply or what solutions we will provide. The truth is that being present, and listening, is a form of showing the kindness that can make another feel heard, understood, and truly felt. Next time you ask someone how they are, hold space and really listen to what they have to say.

Being kind is about showing up as your true self and inviting others to come as they are, too. It is meeting yourself and others with compassion and understanding in the present moment. Each of us can be why someone believes there are good people in this world.

So, kindness might not make the world go 'round (we have momentum and gravity to thank for that), but kindness does certainly make the world a better place.

Think about the power that a kind gesture, a kind hand, a kind word, or a listening ear can have on someone in a moment when they feel like their world is crumbling. Think about the way that it can make an already-good day that much better. Now think about the positive impact on the giver’s physical and mental health. The power of kindness is remarkable.

We may never know just how big of an impact our small acts of kindness have on someone else. But we know that kind humans doing kind things are exactly what this unwell world needs more of.

Although it may not be your first time hearing this one, I will leave you with this final ask:

“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” —Unknown

Facebook image: Aloha Hawaii/Shutterstock

LinkedIn image: Dmytro Zinkevych/Shutterstock

Curry, O. S., Rowland, L. A., Van Lissa, C. J., Zlotowitz, S., McAlaney, J., & Whitehouse, H. (2018). Happy to help? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of performing acts of kindness on the well-being of the actor. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 76 , 320-329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2018.02.014

Hamilton, D. (2017). The five side effects of kindness: This book will make you feel better, be happier & live longer . Hay House UK.

Rowland, L., & Curry, O. S. (2019). A range of kindness activities boost happiness. The Journal of Social Psychology, 159 (3), 340-343. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2018.1469461

Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, Ed.D. , is a resiliency and wellness scholar and speaker, author of Calm Within the Storm and Stress Wisely , and award-winning instructor and adjunct professor at Trent University.

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Sep 28, 2018

The Importance Of Compassion In The Workplace

Resonant relationships require people to know each other, and more than just knowing what is in their hearts and minds. To be resonant with others, you have to be in tune with them. This requires something deeper than having a mental model or an intellectual insight into another person. Being in tune with others involves caring about them—and that is what invokes compassion. You feel curiosity, respect, and real empathy. Being in touch with others and feeling compassion has other benefits: it arouses Renewal. So, compassion is a key to Renewal, and a key to unlocking the chains of the Sacrifice Syndrome.

Compassion Is Empathy In Action

Compassion is empathy and caring in action. Being open to others enables us to face tough times with creativity and resilience. Empathy enables us to connect with people. It helps us get things done, and to deal with power stress and the sacrifices inherent in leadership.

In order to be empathic, we must begin with curiosity about other people and their experiences. Most people are born with curiosity—we only have to look at the bright eyes of a healthy four year old to see it in its pure form. At that age, the world is a miraculous place full of mysteries to explore. Sadly, as we age we often lose the ability to see things–and people–through a clear lens. We end up seeing the world through a filter of our own beliefs. Much miscommunication happens because people’s ability to take in information from each other is seriously curtailed by their prejudgments. Carried to the extreme, a relationship can be ruled by prejudices and stereotypes, with very little real information passing between people, never mind actual connection and understanding.

Overcoming Prejudgments

It is impossible to be free of all prejudgment—we simply could not live in the world without some assumptions. However, effective leaders are able to suspend automatic judgment, and can work to understand other people without filters. Effective leaders care enough to want to learn about other people, to feel what they feel and see the world the way they do. And then they do something with it.

We define compassion as having three components:

• Understanding and empathy for others’ feelings and experiences
• Caring for others
• Willingness to act on those feelings of care and empathy

When compassion is experienced, a person does not assume or expect reciprocity or an equal exchange. Compassion means giving selflessly. This goes beyond the common definition of compassion in the West and within Buddhist philosophy; both traditions tend to link compassion with empathy and caring for others who are in pain. We believe compassion incorporates the desire to reach out and help others whether or not their condition is based on suffering and pain. Our definition of compassion, then, is closer to that of Confucian philosophy: compassion is the emotional expression of the virtue of benevolence.  

Empathy Versus Sympathy

People often confuse sympathy, that is, feeling sorry for someone, with caring about someone and feeling compassion. Some of this confusion is the fault of the field of psychology and a limited view of what has been called “need for affiliation.” For decades, wanting to be close to others was viewed as trying to fill a deficiency, or need. Freud and others fueled this perspective. Even today, some of the widely used measures of this motivation look at how people are more likely to attempt to avoid rejection rather than to act on their non-anxious desire and enjoyment of being close with others.   This view of relationships is based on a deficiency model – and assumes that a need for affiliation is really just filling a gap in a person’s desires. At a deeper level, the model assumes that a desire for closeness is based on the fears or anxiety of being rejected.

What Drives Human Relationships?

So people aroused by a need for affiliation look for evidence that their loved ones or close friends really care about them. They value proof such as frequent declarations of affection, frequent calls, visits, chances to spend time together, and even some degree of exclusivity. For example, wanting to know you are someone’s best friend might be seen as evidence that the person is less likely to reject you.

At the opposite end of the spectrum lies what we consider to be a more positive, non-anxious form of intimacy or desire to be close to others. It is not based on reciprocity or the need for declarations of any kind, and does not require proof of affection. Rather, we are looking at the drive for relationship and regard from a glass half-full perspective: our desire for contact and intimacy are natural and we derive great satisfaction and pleasure from compassionate relationships. From this perspective, we simply enjoy being with certain other people. When we come together, it is as if we have not been apart, even if years have intervened. We can comfortably pick up the relationship where we left off and not feel as if something was missing. It is this form of the affiliation drive that is the basis for the experience of compassion.

So compassion is empathy in action. It is based on a wholesome desire to connect with others and to meet their needs. The best way to understand what compassion is, however, is to see how it actually leads, in practice, to the renewal of both leaders and those around them, and ultimately to sustainable resonance and results.

You Deserve to Be Happy at Work

Based on extensive research and decades of experience with leaders,  How to Be Happy at Work  deepens our understanding of what it means to be truly fulfilled and effective at work and provides clear, practical advice and instruction on how to get there―no matter what job you have.

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