Compassion: a real life example. The meaning and development of the quality of compassion in a person An example from the life of a person's compassion for a person

Compassion is a quality that only a real person possesses. It allows you to come to the aid of your neighbor without hesitation when it is required; a compassionate person has the ability to feel the pain of others as well as his own. Sympathy is a very good topic for an essay in the Russian language.

Why write an essay on compassion?

That is why students receive tasks of this kind. In the process of work, they can work out the topic of empathy for their neighbor in more detail, understand what mercy really is and how it is expressed. Composition "What is compassion?" - a good way for the writer himself to realize this quality in himself, to become more merciful to his neighbors. What points can be mentioned in your work?

What is empathy?

Compassion is the ability of a person to feel what his neighbor feels as if he himself experienced the same experiences. It differs from empathy - after all, you can empathize with another person not only in pain, but also in joy, fun, longing or boredom.

A compassionate and sympathetic person is able to understand what is happening in the soul of another. It is believed that if a person is able to sympathize, it means that he really has a heart and soul and he is able to love. A spiritually rich person is capable of compassion. She is able to remember something from her experience when she meets the misfortune of her neighbor, to provide him with help and support, since she herself knows how difficult it is to be in such a situation.

Substitution of concepts

However, compassion does not always manifest itself as a positive quality. There are many variations of compassion, and one of them is pity. This type of attitude towards people is very common in the post-Soviet space. Often people do not care about their health, do not go in for sports, do not value themselves, their own lives. However, at the same time, public morality forbids abandoning those who, by their actions, have deprived themselves of this health.

The classic example is the spouses of alcoholics who stay close to their weak-willed husbands even when their passion for drinking has made them disabled. It may seem that such a woman really feels real compassion: “How can he live without me now? It will completely die." And she puts her whole life on the altar of "saving" her weakling husband.

Pity or mercy?

However, this type of relationship can hardly be called compassion. A thoughtful schoolboy writing an essay “What is compassion?” will understand: in such behavior only one feeling shines through - pity. Moreover, if such a woman, of whom there are many in Russia, would not think only about herself and her feelings, she would choose a completely different model of behavior. Truly sympathizing with her weak-willed and lazy spouse and wishing him well, she would end her relationship with him as soon as possible - and perhaps then he would realize that his lifestyle is destructive both for his own body and mind, and for the family.

About empathy in wild tribes

In "What is Compassion?" some interesting facts can be mentioned. For example, mercy or empathy is not perceived in all cultures in the same way as in Russia, or, for example, in America.

In the wild forests of the Amazon lives an unusual tribe Yekuana. It is quite numerous, consists of about 10 thousand members. The manifestation of compassion among the representatives of the Yekuan is significantly different from what we are used to. For example, if a child gets hurt, the parents show no signs of empathy, do not even try to feel sorry for him. If the baby does not need help, then they wait until the child rises and catches up with them. If someone from this tribe gets sick, then the other members of the tribe will do everything in their power to cure him. Yekuana will give their tribesman medicine or call the spirits to restore his health. But they will not pity the patient, and he will not disturb other members of the tribe with his behavior. This is a rather unusual form of compassion. However, it must be remembered that the Yekuana tribe is at the stage of the primitive communal system. Such an attitude for a Westerner is unlikely to be acceptable.

Unusual kind of help

In "What is Compassion?" one can give various examples of the manifestation of mercy, as well as describe different types of this feeling. In psychology, there is also a kind of empathy, which is called anticipatory. Its meaning is that a person (most often a psychologist) helps a person who is ill in an unusual way: he himself goes to ask him for advice.

Usually people are surprised that someone does not try to help or console them, but asks them for advice. However, according to psychologist R. Zagainov, who works in the field of sports achievements, this method always “works” - a person gets better after he himself has helped another. In an essay on the topic “Compassion”, one can also mention such an unusual way of helping one’s neighbor.

The antipode of mercy

In the essay-reasoning “What is compassion?” we can also mention the opposite of this feeling, namely indifference. It is believed that it is the most terrible vice that can only be characteristic of a person. This opinion was held by Mother Teresa, and it is also written in the Bible.

The writer Bernard Shaw said that the worst crime that a person can commit towards other people is not to hate them, but to treat them with indifference. Indifference means the complete absence of any emotion. A person who does not care what is happening around him does not experience either positive or negative experiences. And if the latter can still benefit his health (after all, as you know, negative emotions destroy the cells of the human body from the inside), then the absence of positive experiences is absolutely useless.

The well-known Russian writer A.P. Chekhov spoke about the same. He called indifference "paralysis of the soul" and even "premature death." If you think about it, then in many ways the great writer is right - after all, an indifferent person is indifferent to the whole world around him. He is similar to a zombie that has an outer shell, but inside is completely devoid of feelings. In the essay “Sympathy and Compassion,” the student can describe this type of spiritual callousness in more detail, telling, for example, about a case from life. After all, everyone must have seen how indifference is manifested in relation to the elderly, pregnant women, sick people.

How to write a good essay?

The assignment on this topic requires compliance with all the rules for writing school work: it must be competent, contain an introduction, the main part, in which the main theses will be written point by point, as well as a conclusion. Without this, one can hardly count on a good grade in the essay. Sympathy and compassion are needed or not - the student decides in his work himself. He can hold any point of view, and this will not affect the result. But the lack of arguments, spelling or punctuation errors, insufficient volume of the essay - all this can affect the assessment of the essay. Of course, most likely, most students will agree that it is hard to live without these qualities, not only for those people who surround a callous person; and it is hard for him to live with such a cruel heart.

Whether mercy is needed is everyone's decision

However, to be merciful or cruel, everyone also decides for himself. You need to answer yourself the question: do I myself need sympathy and compassion? The writing only helps to prompt such reasoning. A person who lacks compassion for people and for all living things can gradually develop these qualities in himself. How to do it? The easiest way is to do good deeds. You can start helping first relatives and friends who need it, then strangers. Now many different social institutions need help. And in the West, the experience of charity or volunteering is a significant plus when applying for a job.

In the modern world, few people think about what empathy is. The rhythm of life, stress, unstable economic situation and other troubles in life make a person think about himself and his well-being. Such a situation can lead to the decomposition of society and the destruction of traditional foundations, so we must not forget about such human qualities.

Empathy - what is it?

Sympathy is one of the most important, expressing a feeling of concern about a situation or situation. What is sympathy for? It allows a person to understand other people's emotions and remain human. Such a state can be based on the following principles:

attachments;
understanding;
respect.

Often, these emotions express empathy for another person. They can be expressed in different ways:

necessary or tender words;
encouraging actions;
physical or material assistance.

The ability to sympathize is good, it is important to do it on time and not be intrusive, since sometimes tense situations arise in which this “gesture” will be superfluous and it is highly likely that sympathy will cause psychological damage to the individual. Therefore, it is so important to sincerely and at the appropriate moment to manifest the emotional state in question.

How is empathy different from compassion?

Understanding what empathy and compassion are will be useful for the development of character and personality. These are similar concepts that express a feeling of empathy for another person. Their difference lies in the fact that sympathy allows not only to understand the situation, but also to feel the emotions of another. Sympathy and compassion must be equally present in the life of society, otherwise it will become callous and indifferent to the world around.

Compassion vs Sympathy - What's the difference?

Another similar concept is pity. It manifests itself in the form of the same empathy, but without emotional coloring, without experiencing the same emotions and feelings. Sometimes a feeling of pity is not accompanied by a desire to participate in a person's problem, but is expressed only with kind, encouraging words. In most cases, when expressing pity, a person conveys his feelings towards another, and does not experience others. Sympathy and pity are generally similar in meaning, but have different connotations.

Compassion - is it good or bad?

Many people wonder, do people need empathy? There can be two answers to this question, and each of them has its own explanation:

Empathy is necessary because it strengthens social bonds in society, allows people to remain human and express their emotions. By sympathizing, we show that a person is not indifferent to us.
If a person is upset, then sympathy can further undermine his state of mind, increase the manifestation of negative emotions and aggravate the situation. In this case, sympathy will be superfluous.

From the considered answers, we can conclude that sympathy is necessary at certain moments, depending on the situation and the emotional state of the person to whom it is directed. It is important not to overdo it and know when the manifestation of such an emotional state would be appropriate in order to truly help a person, and not vice versa, aggravate the situation.

Do you need empathy and compassion in life?

A very complex, slightly philosophical question - do people need sympathy and compassion? Most people are likely to say what is needed. Such qualities are a manifestation of caring, not indifferent attitude. It is important to convey them to children in their upbringing and personality formation. Constantly receiving a portion of emotions of compassion and sympathy, a person can demand them more and more often - he will get used to or will wait for a constant solution to his problems. He can manipulate his state to achieve goals. Therefore, it is not in vain that the expression “everything is good in moderation” exists.

How to learn to empathize?

The answer to the question of how to express empathy will depend on the specific situation. It is important to be able to sympathize correctly and in a timely manner. A person needs to be shown that they understood him, shared his experiences, but at the same time gave strength to get out of this situation. Often required:

For a more complete and deeper understanding of the meaning of this term, you can refer to some books, both for adults and children. For example:

Author's book Ruth Minshull "How to Choose Your People" tells about what you can pay attention to when meeting people and how to choose those who can later be called "ours". The book has a separate chapter on the concept of empathy.
Alex Cabrera "Fairies Talk About Empathy"- An excellent book that makes it possible to convey to the child the meaning of this concept and teach him to show sympathy at the right moments.

Books about empathy and compassion allow people to become more open and kind, teach children to be caring in some situations. By periodically reminding yourself what empathy is, and that sometimes you can’t do without it, you can make the world a better place. The manifestation of such a feeling, along with compassion and mutual assistance, leads to the cohesion of society, the establishment of social relations within it, the maintenance of traditions and the connection of generations. This is important for the development of a full-fledged, mature, stable society.

(54 words) Compassion in literature is manifested not only between the characters, but also in the attitude of the author to his character. So, the author of the novel "Eugene Onegin" - Pushkin, sympathizes with Tatyana Larina, who found herself in a tragic situation. She is hopelessly in love with Onegin, but remains faithful to her husband. “I shed tears together with you” is a manifestation of the author’s compassion for his heroine.
(50 words) In the novel Crime and Punishment, compassion is one of the main character traits of Dostoevsky's beloved heroine Sonya Marmeladova. Upon learning that Raskolnikov was tormented by the fall, she did not turn away from him in fear, but, on the contrary, helped him to embark on the true path of the rebirth of the soul. It was Sonya who sympathized with the hero and did not let him go crazy.
(42 words) Compassion is the willingness to selflessly help people, and not just empathize with their troubles. Natasha Rostova from Tolstoy's "War and Peace" desperately helped the wounded soldiers get out of the city, and the moment of the heroine's farewell to Bolkonsky leaves no doubt that Andrei's suffering was also unbearably hard for her.
(47 words) In Kuprin's story "The Lilac Bush", the heroine sincerely sympathizes with her husband, who cannot pass the exam. He put a blot on the drawing and corrected it for a bush, but the professor did not credit the work. Vera pawned all her jewels to buy a lilac bush and plant it there. The husband passed the exam, and she once again proved her devotion to him.
(60 words) In Ostrovsky's play The Thunderstorm, Tikhon sympathizes with Katerina throughout the play, because he understands how difficult it is for her to establish relations with Kabanikha, and is not even angry with her for treason. He feels sorry for his wife, but he is afraid to put his mother in her place. Only the death of Katerina and compassion for her fate prompted Tikhon to express his position to Kabanikha, however, unfortunately, his unexpressed sympathy did not improve the situation.
(54 words) Compassion is also self-sacrifice and nobility. In Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, Woland promises to fulfill the wish of the main character. However, Margarita sacrifices this opportunity for herself, wanting to end the torment of Frida, whom she met at the ball. Saving Frida from the daily torture in the form of a handkerchief with which she strangled her baby, Margarita shows mercy and compassion.
(46 words) Turning to Sholokhov's story "The Fate of a Man", we understand how much compassion can help anyone. The main character, Andrei Sokolov, left alone after the war, meets a little boy Vanya, who was left an orphan. Showing condolences and humanity, the hero is called the boy's father and thus gives him hope for a new life.
(49 words) What, if not compassion, can one feel for the main character of Karamzin's story "Poor Liza"? The girl could not stand the test of unhappy love, and, finding herself alone without her beloved Erast, she threw herself into the water. Sympathizing with the heroine, many readers cried over the fate of Lisa, because in such a situation it is difficult not to show compassion and remain indifferent.
(52 words) Compassion is one of the most important qualities in a person, helping to look at many things differently, and, perhaps, be happy ... What can be said about the main character of Lermontov's novel "A Hero of Our Time" Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin. Often he put his goals above the feelings of other people, did not show compassion and sympathy. Therefore, Pechorin remained a lonely and unhappy hero.
(60 words) The ability to be compassionate is valued in any manifestation: both in the willingness to listen and in the desire to help. The mercy of heroes with a difficult fate is especially appreciated, who, in spite of everything, are ready to give a helping hand. Matryona from Solzhenitsyn's story "Matryona Dvor" buried six children, remained poor in old age, not receiving a pension. However, the heroine still showed compassion for others and selflessly helped people.

Arguments from personal life

(53 words) Often, showing compassion is caring. When my friend and I were walking in the park, I saw a baby bird lying on the grass. Looking up, I realized that he had accidentally fallen out of the nest. Realizing that he would not be able to climb back on his own, we decided to help him. Taking the chick, we climbed the tree and put it back in the nest.
(43 words) My friend is a psychology student and she often talks about how compassion is an integral part of friendship. When I'm worried about something, she can help me, even just by listening and supporting me. Realizing that she sympathizes with me, I begin to look at my problems differently.
(51 words) Recently, a classmate of ours was admitted to the hospital. We all worried, called him and his parents to find out about his well-being. On the eve of graduation, we thought that the best expression of our compassion would be to please him. Therefore, on our common holiday, we decided to visit him, taking with us fruits and wishes for a speedy recovery.
(43 words) One of my acquaintances believes that the duty of any person is to help others. Always sincerely sympathizing with sick people, he increasingly understood that his recognition was to become a worthy doctor. So, having determined his life path, he realized that he could turn his compassion into a real help to a person.
(58 words) Mom and I love to watch dance shows, so we vote for our favorite artist. If he does not have enough votes and his further participation in the project is in doubt, we continue to support him by leaving comments under the videos with his performance. We understand that this is not an easy path, therefore, empathizing with the dancer, we are ready to help in any way we can. Support is also one of the ways to express compassion.
(45 words) Last year, my classmate was very worried before the test, although she thoroughly prepared for it at home. Realizing that she was worrying in vain, I reassured her and supported her. She got an A and said that my compassion helped her stop being nervous and focus on her assignments.
(59 words) One day my friend showed compassion, fully supporting me and not leaving me to be sad. She and I were invited to a party with friends, and the day before I had a fever. I was very pleased that my friend not only did not go to the holiday without me, but instead brought me medicines, sympathizing with my cold that appeared so at the wrong time.
(49 words) My classmate often arranges trips to the animal shelter. She is always very worried about the fate of the little animals that find themselves on a cold street, so she often saves money to buy food for them. Her compassion not only helps people to be kinder, but also saves animals from starvation. Any charity is a worthy manifestation of compassion.
(55 words) Once I noticed a friend's aquarium with a small turtle. She said that she came across an advertisement for the return of the animal in good hands. At first she doubted whether to respond, but decided to call anyway. The owner explained that due to the move they were forced to give away the turtle, and my friend could not indifferently refuse the animal. So compassion gave her a new friend.
(58 words) Compassion for others is always shown by my friend, helping the elderly. Every time grandma has a hard time climbing the stairs, he either takes her by the arm or helps her carry her bag. He also always responds when it is necessary to help an elderly person cross the road. My friend believes that anyone can feel sorry for others, but showing compassion and helping is a completely different matter.

Sympathy, compassion, support… We have been hearing these words since childhood, but we do not always understand their true meaning. I still only intuitively define the boundary between compassion and empathy, but support should accompany both of these concepts.

I used the explanatory dictionary to find out the meaning of the terms of interest to me. According to Ozhegov and Shvedova, compassion is "pity, sympathy caused by someone's misfortune, grief," and sympathy is "a sympathetic, sympathetic attitude to the experiences, misfortune of others." Thus, we can conclude that compassion is one of the sides of sympathy.

Support is, in my opinion, helping a person who is in some kind of trouble. But it doesn't have to be tangible or physical. In my opinion, moral support is quite enough to cause gratitude. Of course, I do not think that it is necessary to help for the sake of reciprocal services. Real support is disinterested, it is given out of good intentions, sympathizing and compassion for the person.

There are many examples of sympathy, compassion, support from literary works. But, unfortunately, no less examples can be picked up from real life.

Usually close people sympathize with a person. Friends and relatives know you better than others, they understand how to support you, not to let you make a mistake. I'm not an exception. When my good friend got into family troubles, I didn't talk about the fault of the relatives, or about her own intemperance and stupidity. I just found those words that cheered up my friend, made her feel that she was not alone, that not everything was lost. Based on my own experience, I will assume that the compassion that can be accepted by a strong person should be sincere, cordial. If you understand that the situation does not evoke a response in your soul, try to find advice that has been proven in practice so as not to offend a relative, friend or acquaintance with indifference.

When misfortune befalls a person, he needs support and compassion. It is always easier to endure something, knowing that you are not alone, that someone understands you and your condition. The most important aspect of compassion is the ability to feel the experiences of another person, accept them and show it. Naturally, in order to be able to do this, you need to be an empath to some extent. It is unlikely that a cold and callous person can feel compassion - he is too closed for this.

In my understanding, a person experiencing compassion must have rich life experience, remember his emotional state when he felt bad, bitter, hurt, in order to resurrect him at the right time.

Greetings, dear readers and guests of my blog! Today I want to talk to you about such an important human quality as compassion, its examples and distinctive features. This is one of the highest qualities of a person, only on one condition that it is true and not false. It is sometimes confused with worldly charity, or pity, how they differ, I will tell a little later. Therefore, read the article to the end.

In explanatory dictionaries, you can find a definition that this is pity for someone else's grief, joint suffering. On this topic, of course, you can argue for a long time, but I believe that this definition is fundamentally wrong.

Compassion is the ability of a person to feel the emotions and experiences of other people. It is a light that comes from one person and softens or even heals the pain of another.

Compassion has its components, without which it cannot be complete. It is kindness, mercy, love, respect and patience.

Let's look at each component in more detail.

Mercy

This two-root word literally means "sweet heart." What does mercy mean? First of all - disinterested help. For example, help an elderly person carry bags, feed a hungry street dog, just listen to someone. Secondly, mercy is the ability to forgive.

Kindness

This is a caring attitude towards people and the world as a whole. Kindness is not always obvious, sometimes it is not easy to see.

Let me give you two parents as an example. The father generously feeds the little son with sweets, cakes and other sweets that he asks for. And mom, on the contrary, does not allow him to get involved in sweets. Of course, in the opinion of the child, dad in this situation is kinder. But is it really so? Sometimes what is taken for kindness is simply the inability to refuse, ordinary conformity. Of course, in this case, real kindness and care is shown by the mother, although she is hidden behind external severity.

Love

A lot has been said and written about love, because it is such a broad and comprehensive concept that one can talk about endlessly. But now we will consider love as a component of compassion.

Of course, it is much easier to empathize with your loved ones, loved ones, because the emotions of kindred souls resonate at the same frequency. But what about strangers or how to sympathize with the enemy? In order to learn to love and feel the whole world around and its inhabitants, it is necessary to improve and develop one's spiritual qualities.

Respect

The object of compassion must be treated with respect. Even if it is a small earthworm, it is the same creation of nature that this world needs. Without due respect and understanding, compassion turns into pity and humiliates the one to whom this feeling is manifested.

Patience

When you do things, it happens that they are not appreciated. Patience in this case will be an indicator of sincerity.

Showing compassion and empathy

Let's look at a few examples of how compassion is shown. Let's start with the most common one.

worldly charity

For famous, rich people, charity is now in vogue. I have nothing against this fashion, quite the contrary, perhaps it is the best of all existing ones and I support it. Only such good deeds done from selfish motives (the pursuit of fashion trends, the desire to look better in the eyes of others, fame, recognition) cannot be called sincere compassion. It cannot purify the soul and fill it with light.

Very rare individuals do not flaunt their good deeds. If a person is driven by such selfish motives, then let's say if they are not justified, if they are not glorified properly, then it is incomprehensible that he would have committed such a charitable act.

True compassion

True compassion comes from the depths of the heart, it inspires a person to do good deeds without demanding anything in return.

W.B.3.3.21

tikshavah karunikah

suhrdah sarva-dehinam

ajata-satravah santah

sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah

Sadhu is patient and merciful, he is the friend of all living beings. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, strictly follows the injunctions of the shastras and is endowed with all the virtues.

A sadhu is a deeply spiritual person who has dedicated his life to God and strives to give knowledge to others. And all the qualities of compassion, according to this verse, are fully manifested in him.

He is patient and merciful. He develops friendship for all living beings, which means that he is equally merciful to people and animals. Every living being in this world has the right to life. Such a person does not harbor enmity towards anyone, even if someone is hostile to him. When doing good deeds, the sadhu is patient, because often people do not appreciate his deeds. The true task of such a person is to save the souls of others, and not just the body. As one of the proverbs says: "What's the point in saving the clothes of a drowning man, if you need to save him himself."

Therefore, real compassion can only be fully enjoyed by highly spiritual personalities who are willing to sacrifice everything in order to give true knowledge and happiness to others. To bring other people closer to God, to give them the opportunity for spiritual progress.

It happens that a person wants to show his compassion, but as soon as his comfort zone is touched, all good intentions disappear. The conclusion in such a situation is obvious.

Video - a story from the ancient Vedic scriptures about compassion

Compassion for children and animals

Many people find it much easier to feel compassion for children and animals because their souls are pure and innocent. Unfortunately, it is impossible to help all the sick and homeless, but still a lot is in our power.

For example, you can refuse to eat meat, in this way you will show mercy and save a few innocent animals. One social organization calculated how much a person eats meat in his life: more than 1,000 chickens, a dozen pigs and cows. I became 12 years ago, thereby saving more than a hundred animals.

Compassion for other people

Many people have problems with compassion and empathy for their own kind. A projection comes to the fore, and unpleasant thoughts and arguments come into my head: “Why should I help someone, I have enough problems myself,” etc.

A fair summary of this story - a well-fed hungry does not understand.

How to Develop and Form Compassion

To begin with, I will try to explain why you need to form compassion in yourself.

Compassion makes our heart wider, and selfishness, on the contrary, narrows it.

When we have a “big” heart, then we have good relationships with others, we feel healthy and complete. And gradually our consciousness approaches God

As a result of selfishness, the heart narrows, illnesses and misfortunes come.

Our modern civilization ties a knot in the heart, for anyone if you look at all the tortured and unfortunate.

People without this quality manifest callousness and cruelty. Sincere feelings cannot enter into such a soul - neither joy nor love. When we empathize with others, our soul is cleansed and becomes more receptive to the world and spiritual knowledge.

As I have already said, it is easier to sympathize with someone else's grief when you have experienced a similar unpleasant event in your own skin.

The main key to developing compassion lies in spiritual self-improvement.

One of the barriers to compassion is self-centeredness. People are too fixated on their "I" and thoughts about their own good. At least once a day, try to practice empathy. Look at some person and ask yourself the question “What would I feel in his place?” It is best to do this during a conflict situation, thus you will complete 3 missions at once:

get distracted from your own negative feelings;
practice empathy;
soften the conflict.

The difference between pity and compassion

Now I will tell you the difference between pity and true compassion. There is a significant difference between these concepts. Pity is a destructive and destructive feeling, and compassion is bright and creative. Pity is inaction, but compassion provides help. Pity comes from the mind, and compassion from the heart.

Let's analyze this statement with an example. Imagine a seriously ill person. Relatives are sitting next to him, crying and pitying him. They already doom the patient and give him an inner message that he will not be able to cope with difficulties. Thus, they drive a person into an even greater abyss of misfortune, and he drops his hands.

Compassion carries creative energy and good spirits. A person who truly manifests this quality will not be inactive, he will provide all kinds of assistance and look for the best ways out of the situation. Vibrations filled with light and love come from such people, which in themselves have a beneficial effect on others and give them the strength to overcome difficulties.

Categories

Editor's Choice