The prerequisites for compassion are 3:
- Empathy
- Boundaries
- Willingness to see others in the best possible light.
Compassion is a great tool to look at the world because it shows our limits and it reminds us that we can also become selfish and uncaring if we are not watching ourselves carefully.
Life takes a lot of efforts to live.
Life is not easy.
Life throws trials at us constantly.
If we lose the ability to look at others and feel empathy, we can become evil.
Wait!
Evil?
Yes.
Compassion keeps us in check.
So, what’s the difference between sympathy, empathy and compassion?
Sympathy is when you feel sorry for someone, but just in passing, without this affecting you. You say, “Oh, man, that must hurt,” and then forget about it. You might even laugh and say, "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" as when someone falls.
Empathy is when we feel affected by others’ pain. You might share it too. You might say, “I feel for you. I’m so angry this happened to you.” But eventually, you clear out. The memeory can stay with you and haunt you for a while, but you are still not doing anything.
Compassion is when you actually act on the feeling of empathy and you go over and beyond to help someone.
You refuse to let it slip off your mind.
You can't let it go.
You refuse to turn your back. You just can't.
You give the homeless your shoes.
You give your hotel room to someone who has missed his plane and go sleep with a friend.
You do something to pull someone out of his or her misery.
Sometimes you just stop and listen to someone who need to talk, just talk and vent. You take the time to care.
You sacrifice something of yourself, maybe your time or your money or your comfort for this person. Often, it is a total stranger. someone you do not feel obligated to.