Compassion and Kindness

In our daily life we often experience emotions and sensitivity in our surroundings and beyond the physical boundaries. These feelings are either related to human beings or otherwise yet make us reflect and initiate actions to circumvent hurdles or explore the benefits that affects us in many ways. It is necessary to comprehend the structural meaning and context of compassion and kindness within and outside its conceptual boundaries.

The etymology of "compassion" is Latin, meaning "co-suffering." Compassion involves "feeling for another" and is a precursor to empathize, the "feeling as another" capacity for better person-centered acts of active compassion; in common parlance active compassion is the desire to alleviate another's suffering (ref: Wikipedia). One can notice that compassion is also closely related to physicians, a human factor. In other words, it is their attributes while practicing medical service.

The holy script in Quran emphasizes compassion and commences with these words, "Bismillah Ar-Rahman, Ar-Raheem," which means, 'In the name of Allah Who is Beneficent and Merciful.' If people recite rhetorically, then its impact becomes less effective, however, reciting with reflection will reveal its profoundness.

If you reflect on the past, say about more than a century ago, we can recollect the compassion as publicly displayed by people with all their sincerity. This has unequivocally and evidently established that most of the people have humanitarian values and less materialistic attachments. Therefore, the values have its profound effect when words described its meaning in the context in which it is used. On the contrary, peripheral meaning and a cursory glance over the words or sentences have either no effect or its impact is least effective. Hence, the cultural, social or political impact of words is directly proportional to its values it subscribed.

If we do critical analysis or objective assessment, then our aim should be to explore the values for which these expressions are used. The result will show the growth of people and their impact on the society.

William Wordsworth says: "That best portion of a good man's life is,

His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love."

It is described that compassion and kindness played an analytical role when these words become debatable. Both are related to human values, yet critical analysis indicates that there is a difference between compassion and kindness. The former is a feeling of someone's suffering and the latter is to extend help others in need of help. Compassion is more productive in not only rendering timely help but also evolves, ways and means to avoid such recurrences. Whereas, kindness is a short-term help to fix the problem at that moment only.

When books were being written on the hero and hero-worship, it emphasized that a nation's character develops in the character of their hero. When heroes shape up the people's character, then a healthy society is evolved displaying their compassion and kindness. It does not matter most follow or minority carry the baton and become the beacon of light to the coming generation.

Here, it is important to caution and advice to younger generations or people who are involved head over heel in compassion or kindness. It may lead to compassion fatigue or stress. Charles Figley, a university professor, says this happens when an individual is heavily involved in excessive information of people's suffering. However, according to Tania Singer and Matthieu Ricard (a Director of social neuroscience and a writer and the Buddhist Monk respectively), lack of suitable stress tolerance which gets people fatigued in compassion activities. It is suggested that whatever may be the cause or reason, an individual or a group should adopt a median path so that optimum results are achieved. It will help them to maintain a healthy body and mind making the youngster to enjoy and get satisfaction.

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