What is compasion?

Answer 1

The word compassion is derived from the Latin.
The verb 'p a t i' is to suffer and ' c u m ' means with, giving a literal translation TO SUFFER WITH.

Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion and anguish.
Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those are lonely, to weep with those in tears.

Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable and powerless with the powerless.

Compassion is not a bending towards the underprivileged from a position from a privileged position; it is not a reaching out from on high to those who are less fortunate below; it is not a gesture of sympathy, or pity, for those who fail to make it in the upward pull.
On the contrary compassion means going directly to those people and places where suffering is most acute and building a home there.
by Henri Nouwen

so true so divine...a word so easily used by all but so less known for its real meaning...

Answer 2

Define Compasion

Answer 3

Compassion is being open minded, understanding and showing sympathy.
One dictionary puts it like this:

Compassion is a sense of shared suffering, most often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce such suffering; to show special kindness to those who suffer. Thus compassion is essentially empathy, though with a more active slant in that the compassionate person will seek to actually aid those they feel compassionate for.

Compassionate acts are generally considered those which take into account the suffering of others and attempt to alleviate that suffering as if it were one's own. In this sense, the various forms of the Golden Rule are clearly based on the concept of compassion.

Compassion differs from other forms of helpful or humane behavior in that its focus is primarily on the alleviation of suffering. Acts of kindness which seek primarily to confer benefit rather than relieve existing suffering are better classified as acts of altruism, although, in this sense, compassion itself can be seen as a subset of altruism, it being defined as the type of behavior which seeks to benefit others by reducing their suffering.

Answer 4

My defination of compassion? The ability to empathise, to understand and to forgive or to take some form of action to make things easier for others' lives. It all starts from listening first.

It is very difficult (to most of us) to be compassionate to people who do not regret their foolish ways or crimes. It may take "a few rounds" of compassionate acts in order to make someone realise his errors and change for the better.

It is my belief why sometimes "bad people" do not die young. They are given many chances to turn over a new life. That is the compassionate love of God.

Answer 5

Compassion
or
***-passion?

Answer 6

Compassion...

Basically, it means feeling for others and not yourself.

It means treating others with kindness.

Having sympathy for them and helping them through their hard times.

I guess... taking a time-out just for them because they're your fellow human being.

Answer 7

A sympathetic understanding of other people, or pity for them. See the link below for other definitions.

Answer 8

I would say characteristics of pity and empathy well define compassion.

Answer 9

compassion: Is having sympathy or empathy for someone.
Feeling sorry for their pain or what they are going through. God bless

Answer 10

A combination of consideration for others, and empathy.