How We Can Make the World Better With Compassion
By being compassionate we can bring positive changes
Compassion is a quality that is fundamental to all human beings. It is an ingredient that defines our human nature. Without compassion, we’d be callous and heartless and not capable of relating to one another emotionally.
Living in today’s busy and hectic world, we often get carried away with our own problems. We forget to pause and think about our feelings and those of others. But by not being present, we distance ourselves further and create a wider gap of alienation.
As humans, we’re wired to feel compassionate towards others, but we can also grow in our compassion by choosing to practice it more.
Our world is built on compassion
Our world thrives on acts of compassion and kindness. Compassion spurs altruistic efforts. Think of people like Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela, only to name a few. The world is built on the compassion of people who care to show acts of kindness and engage in heroic endeavors.
Compassion leads to positive actions. Acts of compassion are not only beneficial for a person who receives it, but it is also good for a person who gives it. When you reach out and help others to fulfill their needs, it can be rewarding and make you feel good inside.
As Dalai Lama rightly pointed out: “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
Compassion leads to positive changes
To be more connected with the world, we must pause to think about ourselves and the world in which we live. Every one of us is part of this big world. How we choose to live and function in it shapes how we want it to be.
We can consciously make an effort to improve the world by simply asking ourselves the question of “How can each person help make the world better?”
For example, we can reach out and help others. Or we can be more kind and accepting of one another. Everyone can do a little bit that will make the world brighter. And one way to do it is by being compassionate to others.
Growing in our compassion will help us connect with others on a deeper level and build more meaningful relationships with people around us. Practicing compassion is one form of kindness, and kindness is what our world needs.
Compassion is a skill we can grow
Research points out that compassion is something we can grow into with time. It’s a skill that we can refine by making a conscious effort to be compassionate. We have to be open to receive the feelings of others.
Compassion isn’t only about understanding how another person feels; it’s also about reaching out and helping that person in a way that relieves their suffering. It’s about being altruistic in one’s efforts.
The desire to help someone in need is contingent on our awareness of that need. We must first acknowledge it exists. This realization sparks empathy in our hearts and instills in us a desire to help.
How we can practice compassion
One way we can practice compassion is by paying attention to our feelings and those of others. We can make a conscious effort to listen closely to other people and feel their emotions. We can picture ourselves in their shoes to help us understand what they are going through.
If someone is going through a difficult situation, for example, you can imagine how you would’ve felt if it were you.
According to research, compassion entails three key elements:
- We must recognize another person’s problem
- We must believe that their problem isn’t caused by them but by some external circumstances of which they have no control
- We must put ourselves in their shoes to validate their feelings by seeing how we would feel in the same situation
For example, if you pass by a homeless person on the street, your response to the scene will elicit a different range of emotions, depending on how you perceive the situation.
If the person ended up on the street because their house just burned down and they had nowhere to go, you’ll likely feel more compassionate for them. On the other hand, if that person is on the streets because they refuse to find a job, you may not relate to them on the same emotional level. So the amount of compassion you show is a measure of how you perceive the situation.
The bottom line
By being compassionate, we’re able to reach out to other people’s emotions, understand the feelings of others, as well as grow in our compassion. Our ability to help others rests on our ability to be compassionate. The more we practice compassion, the more we can bring out positive changes and make the world a better place.
