Society & Culture
Having compassion can be difficult in a world where we’re bombarded with bad news and suffering. It feels like we are currently living in a dog-eat-dog world. We are all so worried about ourselves that we fail to look at the bigger picture. It’s almost like we no longer embrace a sense of community and are desensitised by those in more need. The interpretation of compassion is literally “a suffering with another.” Maybe we lack compassion? The problem is, compassion is a powerful emotion, and it has many benefits. For example, you, Will, Be Happier: Showing compassion to others isn’t purely altruistic. When you help someone else, it boosts your pleasure. A study from Harvard in 2008 showed that donating money can make you happier than using it on yourself. Makes You More Attractive: Positive personality traits like kindness and compassion have been shown to increase people’s perceptions of attractiveness. People rated headshots more attractive when they were attached to qualities like compassion. Improves Your Relationships: Being compassionate is a key to reliable relationships. Whether romantic or not, people will be more comfortable and receptive to you if you show compassion towards them and others. Uplifts Your Community: Compassion isn’t just powerful in your direct relationships. It can help uplift the world around you. Compassionate acts have a way of spreading like wildfire. James Fowler examined this phenomenon in a study that showed acts of kindness spread just as quickly as bad. Improves Your Mental Well-Being: Compassion isn’t just about other people. We must practice self-compassion as well. Often, we find it easier to be compassionate towards others than towards ourselves. Studies have shown that self-compassion is indisputably linked to an individual’s well-being. Boosts Your Self-Esteem: Compassionate behaviour such as donating, volunteering, and helping people in other ways has increased academic aspirations and self-esteem among teenagers. Increases Health and Longevity: Compassion doesn’t just boost teenagers’ self-esteem. It has also been linked to improved fatality rates among older volunteers—desirable Personal behaviours like volunteering address more senior peoples individual and societal needs. Helps You Resolve Conflicts: Life is full of struggles. No matter how much you try to avoid conflict, it is bound to pop up in your life. Compassion can help you address this conflict more effectively. Take some time to listen to the podcast on empathy because you will find it much easier to put yourself in someone else’s shoes when you can show mercy. You Become Calmer: When you strive to be more compassionate, you will usually find them more tolerant and get less annoyed. You will find it easier to forgive minor transgressions, and more concerns will roll off your back. FURTHER READINGS https://mentalhealthtraining.info/mental-health/empathy 2. Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself: https://www.amazon.com/Self-Compassion-Proven-Power-Being-Yourself/dp/0061733520/ 3. Radical Compassion: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Compassion-Learning-Yourself-Practice/dp/0525522832/ 4. Training in Compassion: https://www.amazon.com/Training-Compassion-Teachings-Practice-Lojong/dp/1611800404/ 5. Awakening Compassion at Work: https://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Compassion-Work-Elevates-Organizations/dp/1626564450/ 6. Mindful Compassion: https://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Compassion-Science-Understand-Emotions/dp/1626250618/