a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment
katakowsj  ·  1854 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Thoughts on sympathy and empathy

Agreed. I see compassion as the understanding of pain occurring and taking action to alleviate it. I tend to see empathy and sympathy as passive while compassion is an active process that can be very empowering.

Too often, I think intended empathy and/or sympathy can devolve into pity. No alleviation of pain occurs for anyone.

I’ve read the Dalai Lama’s “Book of Joy” a year or so ago. It was there I think I remember reading similar discussion about compassion and our need to foster compassion to alleviate more pain in ourselves and those around us.