The Power of Compassion
Did you know research indicates compassion can be learned?
Let me start by saying I am not an expert in any scientific or psychiatric or psychological field. I am not an expert in any field that has studied the behavior of persons. When you put compassion under a microscope, it gets complicated.
I was born with heightened compassion and life has taught me its value in home life and work life.
What is compassion?
When you feel compelled to go out of your way to help someone get through their pain, you’re a compassionate person. That pain could be a physical accident, a mental trauma, or an emotional experience such as a loss.
When you show concern for people because of what they may be going through, you are showing empathy.
When you care, the empathy you are showing is a component of compassion. When you care so much about the well-being of others, you feel their pain as much as you’re able. Keep that in check, though, because you can drown in someone else’s problems if you’re not careful.
When you feel sympathy or empathy for another human being, you’re compassionate. With compassion, a person feels compelled to take some action to better a situation. For example, when a family member or close friend loses someone, you feel empathy. With compassion, you want to do something to help. You might call the family who had a loss or you might take up a collection to have a meal delivered.
When you feel compassion for another, when there is heartache, you feel it. You feel as though you can't feel better until you know the heartache of the other person is better. In a sense, you feel like you are that person for that moment. I used to think heightened compassion is a curse. Now I know it has helped to shape me. When you're compassionate, you're also influencing others.
On the Stanford Medicine site, The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) has an online Wiki for all the terms associated with compassion including related words. It is helpful even though it appears a bit overwhelming at sight. As a part of its mission,
CCARE investigates methods for developing compassion and promoting altruism within individuals and society through rigorous research, scientific collaborations, and academic conferences. In addition, CCARE provides compassion training programs and teacher training as well as educational public events and programs. (Source.)
I also think before you can confront the pain in others, you must have already confronted any pain you’ve had in your life.
Where does compassion come from?
I see myself as a tiny dot in the world. I see we hold some responsibility for the outcome of humankind. This tells me compassion as I know it is innate.
I have always felt stress or mild anxiety hearing about people suffering. If someone I knew was suffering, I felt like I was suffering with them. Sometimes thinking positive thoughts is the best you can do.
While compassion feels like a burden sometimes, don’t prevent it from materializing. The act of caring is so beneficial to your family, friends, community, and society.
So where exactly does compassion come from? It’s a natural component in so many of us from birth. Some people are afraid to care. In some cases, it requires stepping out of a comfort zone.
Some experts say or suggest that compassion can be learned. It’s a complicated subject worthy of conversation and study.
If you have coping issues, you might struggle to display compassion. I say this because being in what I call the valley is hard to climb out of when you’re feeling sad — feeling empathy. If you don’t have strong coping skills, you’ll struggle to turn from that valley.
Why is compassion so important?
Compassion is important to a child from a parent. This doesn’t need an explanation. It’s of great benefit for a child to grow up in an environment which made the child feel loved and secure. That’s a positive influence likely to grow.
Compassion is important to a child from a teacher. A patient and thoughtful teacher cares for your child’s self-esteem and self-confidence. A teacher can also address compassion in the classroom.
Compassion is vital in the healthcare industry for significant reasons. It’s part of the ethical foundation of healthcare workers. They are model caregivers to their patients by caring about their needs. Nurses and staff who work in hospice facilities have strong compassion.
How can you learn compassion?
Be a good listener. You can’t feel what someone else is going through if you don’t listen first.
Learn how to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Take that walk.
When you practice self-love, practice your method with compassion.
So many things start with caring including the desire to be a more compassionate person.
Don’t be so judgmental. Remember there’s a human begin underneath the surface that you’re judging.
Be kind. Period. If you want the world to be a kinder place, then you have to be an active participant. Kindness is an element of compassion.
Not only can we learn how to become more compassionate, but building this emotional ability can also lead us to take action and help those around us. (Source.)
According to a 2013 article in Psychology Today, compassion can be learned.
Compassion and altruism — like athletic and academic skills — appear to be traits that are not fixed. Researchers have confirmed that both compassion and altruism can be cultivated with training and practice. The enhancement of compassion through loving kindness meditation creates changes in brain structure linked to increased altruistic behavior. (Source.)
According to Positive Psychology, compassion can be cultivated with training and that greater altruistic behavior may emerge from an increased understanding of the suffering of other people.
If people can be trained to be more compassionate, then compassion can also be cultivated. Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education developed an eight-week compassion cultivation training course. Other groups besides Stanford have programs to cultivate compassion.
Compassion is a key component of individual, interpersonal, and societal well-being, thus the cultivation of compassion can be regarded as an important practice. Cultivating compassion is more than experiencing empathy or concern for others. (Source.)
There needs to be more awareness of the value of compassion because the world could sure use more of it. The influence of compassion is important and those of us who are compassionate can continue to help carry on that influence.
Thank you for reading.
© Cathy Coombs
About the Author
I retired early to write full-time and have already published three eBooks in 2022. My current project is finalizing a true-crime book that was researched for over 10 years. While I have an English Journalism degree, it is life experience that has fueled my writing experiences.
