Synonyms
Definition
A deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it. Involves a nonjudgmental and selfless concern for another’s welfare. Compassion is a discrete emotion that is attuned to harm and suffering in others and motivates prosocial behavior.
Description
Life’s most persistent and urgent question: What are you doing for others? Martin Luther King Jr. Compassion is not religious business. It is human business, it is not a luxury, it is essential for our peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival. Dalai Lama
He who has mercy on the poor, happy is he. Proverbs 14:21
World religions often hold compassion as a sacred virtue in the alleviation of suffering and the facilitation of personal redemption. Eastern traditions believe compassion to be as good for the helper as it is for the helped (e.g., Dalai Lama 2003), and the psychological literature converges on the personal benefits of...
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Mongrain, M. (2022). Compassion, Happiness, and Self-Esteem. In: Maggino, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69909-7_3896-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69909-7_3896-2
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