Compassion is conceived as a state of concern for the suffering or unmet need of the self or another, coupled with the desire and commitment to help alleviate that suffering.
To break it down into bitesize points, compassion is:
Awareness of suffering
Feelings of warmth, care, and tender concern
A genuine wish to see the relief of that suffering
A readiness to take action in some way to relieve that suffering
Compassion is related to empathy and altruism, but they are not the same. Empathy refers to the more general ability to take the perspective of and feel the emotions of another, while compassion is when those feelings and thoughts include awareness of suffering and the desire to help.
Altruism is when we act selflessly to promote someone else’s welfare, even at a risk or cost to ourselves. It can often be prompted by compassion, but it isn't always.
Some may dismiss compassion because they see it as touchy-feely, overly sensitive, or weak, but scientists have started to map out compassion's biological basis. This suggests its deep evolutionary purpose. Costly, self-sacrificial behavior rooted in maternal care for vulnerable offspring has evolved in many ways. Living in a community setting, one is much more likely to survive if compassionate for others around them.
This research has also shown that when we feel compassion, our heart rate slows down, we produce the hormone oxytocin, which calms us, and regions of the brain linked to empathy, caregiving, and feelings of pleasure light up, which often results in our desire to approach and care for other people.
If this sounds interesting to you, you’re in the right place. I’m excited to share more about compassion with you going forward. This newsletter will feature practices, meditations, and exercises that you can do to strengthen your compassion and mindfulness. I look forward to continuing on this journey together!
Three good things:
I’ve been listening to The Science of Compassion by Kelly McGonigal and am loving how she shares neuroscience-based evidence for the lessons she’s teaching. I recently re-listened to a section on empathic distress, which is a topic I’m working on covering in a future issue. I borrowed it from my local library using the app Libby (another one of my favorite things).
This dried buckwheat from a friend’s yard. I think of them whenever I enter the room, and it makes me smile.
Four actions to take:
If you live in California, I urge you to vote “NO” in the upcoming recall election. The election is on September 14th, but you can vote earlier by mail or by going to a vote center (open from September 4th through September 14th). Learn more about the election and where to vote here. You can learn more about the frontrunners here. If either of the Republican frontrunners were to win this recall (which will happen if Newsom does not get 49.9% of the vote), this would flip the senate and result in disastrous rollbacks on initiatives that address the climate crisis, COVID-19, minimum wage, reproductive rights for women, public education, healthcare, support for immigrants, justice reform, etc.…
Support Afghan women through Women for Women International. If you are willing and able, donate what you can to help Afghan women during this time of uncertainty.
Donate to Hurricane Ida Relief & Recovery if you are able.
Learn about how to Stop Line 3 via this link, and if you can, offer bail support by sending a donation via Venmo to @stopline3.