Compassion is one of the best human skills. Everyone, having found themselves in a difficult situation, expects compassion from others. The support of others makes it easier to cope with any grief. Most often, our loved ones support us. Every child knows that in difficult times his family is always ready to help him. The ability to be compassionate makes us more human. We are ready to listen to a person, we are ready to help him, to give a piece of ourselves and fill his resulting emptiness in the soul of a suffering person.

So why is it important to be able to have compassion for others? In Russian literature there are often works devoted to relationships between people. Rasputin's work "French Lessons" vividly presents a picture of compassion. A young French teacher is trying to help her student, who lives completely alone and suffers from hunger every day. Gambling for money helped him survive. The proud boy did not want to accept gifts from the teacher, so the teacher decided to deliberately lose to her student in a game for money. Upon learning of this, the director fires the teacher. And she is forced to go to another place. She sent him red apples as a keepsake for the boy. The young teacher remained in the boy’s heart for the rest of his life. The memory of her warmed his soul.

A person can sympathize with any other person, even if he is an enemy, as was the case in Kondratiev’s work “Sashka”. Sashka is a soldier of the Red Army, a guy with a pure soul and a big heart. Once he and his comrades happened to catch a German intelligence officer, who was then ordered to be taken to the company commander. The German felt that he was being led to execution. Sashki tried to reassure the scout with a leaflet that wrote about the good treatment of German prisoners of war. The German soldier did not believe it, but Sashka promised to save the captured soldier’s life. Having walked a long way to the company commander, Sashka learned that grief had happened - the commander’s girlfriend had died. But Sashka still leads the captured intelligence officer to an officer, from whom he receives an order to kill the enemy of the Fatherland. Having made a promise to the German. Sashka does not follow the order and takes the prisoner to another commander. Before they have time to walk a short distance, the company commander who gave the order for execution catches up with them. He expected Sashka to carry it out, but then a feeling of compassion awoke in the commander and the officer canceled the order, giving the enemy hope for life.

Based on the literature examples, we can draw a conclusion. That the ability to compassion is one of the main qualities of a person. Compassion helps people overcome grief and believe in themselves. The ability to be compassionate is actually important, because helping others; we make ourselves necessary to others.

Compassion is one of the best qualities of human nature. It allows you to see the pain of those around you and not remain indifferent. Since childhood, parents have been trying to explain to us why it is important to have compassion for another person. Let's figure out what this quality means.

Concept

Compassion is an emotional feeling we show towards another living being. It doesn't have to be. We can have compassion for a stray cat or dog, wild animals, birds and even insects. In this way, we try to understand the misfortune of another and become closer to him.

Compassion is the empathy and pity that a person feels towards someone who finds himself in difficult living conditions. It can be expressed in the form of moral support or in the form of providing real assistance.

How to express

Each person shows compassion in their own way. selectively and directly depends on our attitude towards certain people or animals. A person is touched by the pain of a creature he cares about.

For our psyche, compassion is a heavy burden. Seeing someone's misfortune, we begin to worry and get upset. Sometimes the mood can deteriorate for a long time, which will take a person out of his usual state. Particularly impressionable natures, experiencing compassion, fall into depression.

It is not always necessary to give vent to emotions. Why? It is important to have compassion for others, but at the same time you should not forget about your peace of mind. There are many misfortunes happening in our world every day. However, it is worth remembering the joyful moments that help you live with hope for the best.

What are the benefits of compassion

People who know how to empathize are much richer spiritually than those who remain indifferent to the problems of others. A person who experiences such emotions gradually increases their self-esteem, which affects their mood. This is why it is important to have compassion for others.

The experiences that a person experiences at the sight of misfortune push him to think about the cause of the misfortune and search for a way out of the difficult situation. Thus, compassion allows you to develop the instinct of self-preservation, which will protect a person. They try to do everything to prevent such misfortune from happening in their lives.

Why is it important to be compassionate to others?

A person who experiences misfortune needs support. Very often people say that they are strong and can cope with problems on their own. On the one hand, such a position helps to build character. However, the participation of an outsider helps the unfortunate person develop the strength necessary to overcome life’s troubles. Your mood lifts when you realize that you are not alone, your problem touches those around you, which means it will be easier to cope with it.

It’s not for nothing that they say that if you cry into your vest, your soul will become easier. Why? It is important to have compassion for others so that the emotional stress that a person experiences when experiencing difficulties finds a way out. Talking with someone about your troubles and problems helps not only to relieve the burden from your soul, but also to analyze the situation yourself and try to find a way out.

How to be compassionate

Sympathy may not always benefit the person to whom it is directed. Excessive compassion too often can cause some to feel sorry for themselves when the world seems unfair. And this can lead to resignation to difficulties and an unwillingness to overcome them. you will only do harm. This is why it is important to be able to sympathize with others in a way that has a positive outcome.

When showing a person your participation in his problems, you need to let him speak out and try to understand the cause of his trouble. If you think the situation can be resolved, help with advice. It is worth remembering that concrete action in many cases is stronger than words. It will be great if you can really help someone in need.

When you realize that you are powerless to change anything, try to reassure the person. You need to set him up to think that everything will work out for him, and he will cope with everything.

Charity

The ability to compassion is highly valued among people. A person who is ready and able to help is respected in society. Concerned citizens organize special charitable foundations. In them, people voluntarily and free of charge donate money, clothing, food, books, toys, medicine or other things that those in need may need.

Celebrities have become increasingly involved in charity work lately. With their own money they help sick children, the elderly, and people left homeless. Undoubtedly, such activity deserves the highest praise.

The modern world is filled with turmoil and lack of time. Indifference is becoming more and more common. This is why it is important to be able to have compassion for others. Support in difficult times, which comes from a stranger, can greatly change a person’s life for the better and make him more resilient.

Why is it believed that each of us should show compassion to others? First of all, because we are people. And the ability to accept someone else’s misfortune and adversity, bitterness and pain, to treat the unfortunate humanely, to empathize with unfortunate misfortunes, being present in deed, in word, with a consoling glance, a kind word or a consoling glance, can turn even the most selfish creature into a human being. In the modern world there is enough indifference, indifference and indifference to the fate of others. This is probably the only reason why most of us are so lonely, joyless and unhappy.

Life without kindness, empathy, spiritual mutual assistance and compassion loses its meaning, turning into a miserable, unremarkable ordinary existence, which is devoid of friendship and love.

Benevolence and empathy can warm hearts, open human souls, help us comprehend life, teach us to show others how close and dear they are to us. A simple hug, smile, words of comfort or advice help a person survive the most difficult situations in life.

When a person does good, he thereby shows sensitivity to his neighbor, cultivates spirituality in himself when he selflessly helps. In this way, a person can create a new world that is full of happiness. We should not forget that, having circled the globe, the relay of good deeds returns to a person a hundredfold. And humanity becomes more cheerful and cheerful.

It is important that mercy, kindness and compassion are not just empty words thrown around for the sake of decency. These feelings should not be superficial, passing instantly, not even remaining in memory. The ability to accept someone else’s grief, worries and experiences should be measured by the person’s good nature and kindness. After all, only such a person can bring comfort, joy, emotional uplift, and thanks to such people, he awakens in every mood that pushes us to new achievements. You need to be more kind-hearted and try to become better, and you shouldn’t forget about mutual assistance.

Compassion for people and the world around us should be cultivated in every person. After all, compassion is a virtue. There is a truth that should not be forgotten: we will be treated exactly the same as we treat people. If at the moment another person needs your help and support, and you help him, then next time people will come to your aid. The main thing is not to be able to love, but to understand that if you love, then you will have compassion.

We love our loved ones, which means we show compassion for them.

It is very important to be able to help people and understand the need and pain of others. Although, many are not ready not only to sympathize and sacrifice something, but also to simply support. Now there are many people who live homeless, beg, and barely make ends meet. Most of us pass by without noticing such people. This comes from the fact that compassion is muffled by the desire for wealth, comfort, selfishness, and career. Sometimes they are simply afraid to provide help and show their compassion. And here it is worth remembering that the true example of love and compassion that every person should strive for is Jesus Christ.

What is compassion? S. Ozhegov’s dictionary explains that compassion is sympathy, pity caused by someone’s misfortune. But the explanation does not reveal the essence of the concept. Compassion, first of all, is the ability to console, support and understand someone who needs it in difficult times.

Compassion is the quality of a “real” person. Compassion is love. If people had compassion, then there would not be so many orphans, wars, and “unnecessary” people. If compassion lives in a person’s heart, then he simply cannot remain indifferent to the grief of others. People who know how to sympathize with others, with their affection and love, can melt cruel hearts and defeat the world's evil.

Why are some of us able to instantly imagine ourselves in the place of another person and sympathize with his pain, while others remain indifferent and indifferent?

A person, as a rule, is quite well adapted to his own feelings and emotions. But the empathy that appears allows us to pass by. For many of us, seeing another person in pain and reacting with indifference or even outright hostility seems completely incomprehensible. But the fact that some people react this way makes it clear that empathy is not a universal response to the suffering of others.

Why is it important to have compassion?

Empathy involves the ability to emotionally understand what another person is experiencing. Essentially, this is an attempt to put yourself in the place of another and feel what they feel. Liking involves a more passive connection, while empathy usually involves a much more active attempt to understand the other person. Human beings are certainly capable of selfish, even cruel behavior. Any daily newspaper shows numerous unkind, selfish acts and atrocities of man.

Empathy leads to behaviors that benefit social relationships. After all, people are social creatures. Things that help in our relationships with other people are to our benefit. When people experience empathy, they are more likely to engage in prosocial behavior that benefits other people. Things like altruism and heroism are also related to the feeling of empathy for others.

Most people are able to empathize with other people in various situations. This ability to see things from another person's point of view and empathize with others' emotions plays an important role in our social lives. Empathy allows us to understand others and, often, leads us to take action, for example, to alleviate human suffering.

In different religions, cultures, ethical systems, which are interconnected in many fundamental moral issues, of course, the manifestation of sympathy is a sign of a person’s high spiritual development, the degree of his humanity.

What about morality?

And the last reason is morality. The morality of self-affirmation and the development of man, his power and greatness. In order to achieve this, a person himself must make enough efforts. Everyday life requires a person to leave his own affairs and immediately rush to the aid of another. This is the essence of compassion.

Compassion is an integral factor in human socialization, a manifestation of humanism, morality and humanity. This is why it is so important for people to be compassionate.

We determine whether a person is good or bad in front of us by his actions. Words don't count. Some brilliant orator who makes fiery speeches turns out to be a worthless chatterbox. This is probably why we are used to trusting deeds rather than words.

There is a certain set of qualities, without which it is impossible to live up to the proud word “man”. One of them is compassion. If you analyze this word by its composition, it is easy to understand what it means. The prefix “co-” means together, and the root “suffering” needs no explanation. Compassion is the ability to share someone’s grief, take part of the pain upon oneself, and alleviate the severity of the misfortune experienced.

People argue about this, some argue that today not everyone has the ability to compassion. Others, on the contrary, say that it lives in our hearts just as before. Shall we check? Necessarily! We decided to conduct an experiment. They asked the actor to fall on the sidewalk and lie “unconscious” for 10 minutes. Cameras were installed on three sides so that a person lying down and the legs of people walking along the sidewalk could be seen. The place chosen was crowded.

The actor played his role perfectly: he grabbed his heart, swayed and slowly sank onto the sidewalk. It was interesting to observe how passers-by behaved. Some people quickened their pace, others walked at the same pace. During the experiment, 28 people passed near the actor, but only two stopped. But we were happy early on: one stood, looked, even sniffed to see if there was any smell of alcohol, and then walked on with the same measured gait. The second one had a cell phone in his hand. He took a photo and left.

Nobody stopped! No one helped, no one called an ambulance! Maybe the actor played his role poorly? Or are those who talk about the lack of compassion still right? We decided to complicate the task. The make-up artist drew a bloody wound on the actor’s temple; for the purity of the experiment, we moved to another street.

The mise-en-scene is the same: an actor on the sidewalk, three cameras, people around. There were changes. Now everyone stopped and looked, but still left. Many were interested in whether he fell himself or whether someone hit him. Two called an ambulance, one risked feeling the pulse. There is progress.

They were about to end the experiment, but a bus passing by stopped and a girl and two guys jumped out. They are still very young guys, looking no more than eighteen. They rushed to our actor, felt his head, and determined whether it was broken. We conducted a survey of the people around us. How did you fall? What did you hit? They called an ambulance and did not leave until our car took the “victim” away.

It turns out one - one. Those who say that there is less compassion in the world around us are also right, and those who claim that it is still

knocking on our hearts.

We talked to the guys and asked questions. They looked at each other in surprise when they were asked why they helped. They all talked at once, but about the same thing. How else?! Having learned that no one had rushed to help before they appeared, they replied that they were not surprised. All people are different. There are also indifferent people. I was pleased with the addition - but there are still more good people.

These children still have little life experience. But what a firm conviction in one’s rightness and the correct structure of the world, in which there is everything, but more good!

By the way, we repeated the experiment a week later and on a different street. Everyone stopped and did everything that was required in such cases. Ammonia, water and validol magically appeared out of nowhere. They lifted the actor, laid him on a bench, and waited for the car and doctors.

During the first experiment, it must have been a bad day. However, there is compassion in our souls, it exists, it has not gone anywhere! Why do we need it? It's so difficult with him! You would have to survive your own experiences and troubles, but here you still need to have compassion for others. Why tear your soul, spoil your nervous system?

Most likely, compassion is needed so that, like now, the whole world can collect humanitarian aid for people affected by a flood or fire. Accept refugees, rescue abandoned animals, feed homeless people a hot lunch in the bitter cold and buy blankets for them at your own expense. Spend the money you earn on maintaining an orphanage and don’t tell anyone about it.

They say that there is Secret Knowledge, and it is known only to the Initiates. Each of them is a prophecy. One of this Knowledge says that if compassion disappears, if people lose this ability, then the Earth will cease to exist. She will dissolve in space, because she exists only to help humanity learn to love and compassion.

Compassion means expressing sympathy and concern for others - both in thought and in action. It is an appeal to others in the spirit of love and respect. A person endowed with developed spiritual Intelligence and compassion will simultaneously have a sense of duty to other people and a willingness to take responsibility for providing them with all kinds of help.

The good news (and for some, the hardest part) is that the first person you need to show compassion to is yourself! You need to respect yourself, take care of yourself, be true to yourself, and help yourself to actually become who you can be.

The central challenge in integrating the dualistic energies of our relationships is the need to learn how to honor each other. Indeed, in fact, very much of the ways and means in which we respond to various external challenges is determined by how we respond to ourselves. In addition to all the varied relationships we have with others, we also need to continually form healthy and loving relationships with ourselves...

(Carolina Myss)

Only if you have compassion for yourself, if you have nurtured and cultivated this feeling within yourself, can you expand the scope of your compassion so that it includes and embraces other people.

Sympathy

Tolerance

Truthfulness

Willingness to forgive

Good-heartedness

Enlightenment

Observation

Frankness

The amazing discovery that I have made from doing this exercise all over the world for 30 years is that there is very little commonality between people, but much more individuality than you might expect!

This means that you, as previously established in chapter two, are a rare gem, a unique individual. In addition, it also follows from this that this fact - uniqueness - also occurs for every other person. Finally, it also follows that the perception or, if you like, understanding of various phenomena and events from the point of view of other people is more complex, requires a more in-depth approach from us, generates more emotions and is a more rewarding experience than we previously thought .

It is recommended to play a game called "Comprehension" with various other terms or concepts of your choice. It's especially fun when playing it with friends, family, or co-workers to build said game around concepts that are important to all of you, concepts that you disagree about, or concepts that multiple players in the game represent their common goals .

3. Have compassion for your fellow humans.

In all situations, try to analyze why the people around you act the way they do. Always try, especially in difficult situations, to put yourself in the other person's shoes, or as an old Native American saying goes, "Never judge a man until you've walked in his moccasins." Treat others the way you would like to be treated. This will help you see things and phenomena through the eyes of another person (who, from his point of view, is always right) and show more understanding and compassion towards each of your neighbors. In turn, this will make your life much easier, and your spiritual state more calm and happy.

And so that they don’t do to others what they don’t want for themselves.

(Acts of the Apostles, 15:20)

4. Act just for the sake of acting.

When giving someone praise or showing compassion, do not expect any response or response. When giving, do not think about your own benefit or benefit. Be prepared for the fact that the person you are helping may respond positively to your actions, but may not respond in any way - if your expectations are different, both of you may be disappointed. It is possible that you will never know what a strong effect your action can have or actually had. It should be enough for you to know that, having made some positive effort, you yourself have become a little happier, and the same may, at some level, happen to those people towards whom you have shown compassion. So smile, be happy and don’t expect anything in return.

In fact, learning to disconnect from future outcomes and the expectations associated with them is one of the most difficult aspects of compassion, but it is one that ultimately brings the greatest reward. In addition, this skill protects you from all the headaches and heartaches that often accompany these types of expectations.

5. Take part in “random acts of kindness”

Join the growing ranks of people practicing "random acts of kindness" in a movement that started in America and is now spreading to other countries. These random acts are carried out anonymously and can be something as simple as, say, being willing to slip a little money under the door of someone in need, or paying the toll on a bridge or special stretch of highway for that car that is parked behind you and looks beat up.

6. Collaborate with others! 7. Respect other people

Each of us is a real miracle. There is a general consensus that the life story of any person can serve as the basis for writing a bestseller, and your life in this sense is no exception! Think about it... Instead of making all sorts of assumptions about the backgrounds of those around you, try acting like a compassionate journalist and asking people around you to tell you about the most interesting and significant events in their lives. Pay attention to everything: the greatest challenges they've been through, their most cherished memories, etc., as well as their life goals and beliefs. Regardless of current circumstances, every person carries with him everything he has ever done and who he has ever been, like Linus, who is always carrying his blanket everywhere. Find out, admire, respect and enjoy!

8. Your “dark side”

This is a difficult exercise and a kind of challenge - try to look at yourself from the outside when you feel okay!

Imagine for a moment that one of those people with whom you find it especially difficult, unpleasant, or even disgusting has come specifically to help you in mastering the difficult skill of compassion! Now make another assumption that this person is a mirror reflecting your own dark side, hidden from your view, and try to learn from this thought experiment. Remember:

Humans tend to make mistakes. And it is characteristic of a deity to forgive.

(Alexander Pop)

9. Mixing game

Imagine that the people who are somehow close to you, with whom you fight or whom you love, are not actually separate, independent individuals. They are part of you, and you are a combination of you and them. In other words, you are some larger “I”.

Now, as you look at the world from this new perspective, evaluate how it would change your perceptions, feelings, and actions. It is especially interesting to try this game in relation to relationships “love-hate”, “student-teacher”, “master-employee”, etc.

10. Trust other people

Trusting people is much more pleasant than not trusting them. Many of those people who have been offended or hurt, then emotionally close themselves off so as not to again become the object of some kind of mental trauma. Moving along this path, they actually stop living and feeling normally, and ultimately suffer much more. Give everyone you meet on your life's path an initial "excellent" rating, and over time, either add points or subtract them. In addition, decide whether you want to spend more time with this person. In this regard, it is also interesting to note the following. If in your contacts with people you expect the best from them and from your relationships with them - and I mean a very wide range of people: from the saleswoman who serves you in the store to your best friend - then you are one hundred percent You will also likely receive an “excellent” rating from them!

Trust people - and they will always be honest with you; treat them well and they will do very well.

(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

If you begin to truly apply the compassionate principles learned in this chapter, you can make significant changes in the many different communities of which you are a part, especially in the lives of the business community and the broadly understood political class, which are in great need of such help!

If you, as a businessman, learn to have genuine compassion for people, you can facilitate a welcome change from the traditional orientation of the entire business dynamic from profit, which is made by serving other people, to service to other people, which is made possible by making a profit. In politics exactly the same dynamics of development are needed, and it would be especially important to replace the concept of external power used to control other people with an approach that, growing from inner compassion, would extend to all other areas of life.

Spiritual Boosters

I gain more compassion and understanding every day.

I practice self-compassion by focusing on developing my spiritual Intelligence.

As I understand other people better, I am more willing to forgive and tolerate.

Increasing my understanding of what a miracle other people are and how complex they are allows my mind to become increasingly open-minded and flexible.

I always strive to do to others what I would like to see them do to me.

Notes:

Teilhard de Chardin Pierre (1881–1955) - French Catholic philosopher and paleontologist. One of the discoverers of fossil humans is Sinanthropus. He introduced the concept of the noosphere (1927) as a new state of the biosphere in the evolution, in which intelligent human activity becomes the decisive factor in its development. He developed the concept of “Christian evolutionism”, which is close to pantheism, according to which a person develops psychologically and socially, striving for final spiritual unity. - Note translation

In the Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language, the soul is defined as “the inner mental world of a person, his experiences, moods, feelings, etc.”, as well as “a set of characteristic properties, traits inherent in a person; person's character". The large encyclopedic dictionary rightly avoids a clear definition, limiting itself to indicating that in “new European philosophy the term “soul” began to be primarily used to designate the inner world of man.” Note translation

Translation by N. Volzhina and E. Kalashnikova. This is the epigraph to E. Hemingway’s novel “For Whom the Bell Tolls” - Note translation

Donne John (1572–1631) - English poet. His religious and mystical poems “The Path of the Soul” (1601) and “Anatomy of the World” (1611) laid the foundation for the metaphysical school. The quote is taken from the collection “Prayers for Unexpected Occasions, Meditation 17” (1624). - Note translation

Dalai Lama (from mont. dalai sea (wisdom) and lama - Buddhist monk) - from the 16th century. title of the high priest of the Lamaist church in Tibet. - Note translation

Roosevelt (Anna) Eleanor (1884–1962) - since 1905, the wife of the future US President Fraiklin Delano Roosevelt (1882–1945; US President in 1933–1945). She played a significant role in her husband’s political career, especially after 1921, when he fell ill with polio and was no longer in a wheelchair. She was a liberal public figure, publicist, lecturer, and US representative to the UN (1945–1953). - Note translation

Since 1914, Tibet has become an independent state by agreement between British, Chinese and Tibetan representatives. In 1950, Chinese communist troops captured Tibet and annexed it to China. The Dalai Lama, as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, was initially allowed to exercise the role of domestic authority, but in 1959 he was forced to flee to India after an uprising against the communist regime broke out there in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Active protests against Chinese rule also took place in 1987 and 1993. - Note translation

Muhammad Ali (actually Cassius Clay) (born 1942) is an American boxer. Olympic champion (1960) in light heavyweight. Three-time professional world champion (1964–1978) in the heavyweight division. He called himself “the greatest.” At the peak of success, he converted to Islam and changed his name. Refused to fight in Vietnam. Now he is seriously ill. - Note translation

Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla (born 1918) - South African statesman, President of South Africa (1994–1999). Born into the family of a leader, he graduated from college and university in 1942, receiving a degree in jurisprudence. In 1990, amid the crisis of the apartheid system, Mandela was released from prison (he was sentenced to life imprisonment), and in 1991 he headed the African National Congress. In 1993, Mandela and South African President Francis de Klerk were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to end apartheid. In 1994, South Africa held its first national elections with the participation of an African majority, as a result of which Mandela became the first black president of South Africa, and the country embarked on the path of democracy. He did not stand as a candidate in the next elections and has now retired from big politics. - Note translation

Mother Teresa, in the world Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (1910–1997) - Albanian, founder (1950, India) and superior of the Catholic Order of Charity. In different countries she founded schools, first-aid posts, and shelters for the poor. Nobel Peace Prize (1979). The Church soon intends to canonize her. - Note translation

Empathy is an emotional identification with another person, the ability to see his situation, feelings and motives, as well as the ability to evoke the feelings that he experiences; in a simplified interpretation - sympathy, pity, compassion. - Note translation

Linus is a character in a series of comic books (began publishing in 1950), and then in the animated series “Peanuts” (1952), which were invented and drawn by American artist Charles Schultz (born in 1922). Besides him, there are Charlie Brown, Sally, the overly curious dog Snoopy, Lucy, Peppermint Pie and others. - Note translation

Pope Alexander (1688–1744) - English poet. His poetic treatise “An Essay on Criticism” (1711), from which this quote is taken, is a manifesto of English educational classicism. In 1732–1734 wrote a philosophical and didactic poem “An Experience about Man.” Translated poems by Homer. - Note translation