Compassion : Sympathetic Pity And Concern For The Sufferings Or Misfortunes Of Others

Barbara Lazear Ascher writes a well formed essay on the concept of compassion. Compassion is something that we do for others out of the kindness of our hearts. She focuses more on the poor, just how we show them sympathy, why do we do such things. Is showing empathy from our hearts or just for them to go away. I enjoyed this essay due to the fact, that she gives humanistic reasons on why people are compassionate, she doesn’t sugar coat anything, and lastly she breaks down the compassion that she sees everyday.

Compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune. Ascher appeals to pathos in her essay in order to compel the readers to feel compassion towards the victims. She contributes to pathos in her quote, “The man’s grin is less the result of circumstance than dreams or madness” (46). The audience feels for this young man and the tough “circumstances” he is going through. The man is dressed so poorly that he is being mistaken as a mad man by the spectators. The readers instantly feel empathy for this man in the form of compassion. Ascher appeals to logos in order to define compassion in her quote, “For the ancient Greeks, drama taught and reinforced compassion within a society” (48). Ascher includes the real facts about the Greeks in her essay. When she includes these facts, it enables the readers to validate that compassion is something that is taught, whether it is through plays or having to see someone in a worse condition than they are, compassion is still attained.

Compassion is learned through experience and seeing those less fortunate; it brings out sympathy because one cannot ignore it when unfortunate people are everywhere.

Empathy is an innate trait that all humans have and it is the one that we most readily feel, while compassion is a feeling that must be acquired. Ascher astutely points out that “empathy is the mother of compassion” (par.13). In this noteworthy parallel, Ascher compares empathy to a nurturing mother and compassion to the fruit of her labor. Like a mother who has an inherent instinct to protect and teach her young, so too does one have an innate understanding and sensitivity to the feelings and experiences of another, and it is only from these life experiences that the birth of a new awareness is brought forth in the form of compassion. Similar to a mother’s tutelage, Ascher describes compassion as a “learned” behavior that allows one to consciously act upon the distress of others by actively alleviating it. According to Ascher, “Compassion is not a character trait like a sunny disposition. It must be learned, and it is learned by having adversity at our window…” (par.13). In other words, true compassion can only be learned when one is faced with it every day of ones life and that once it becomes “familiar”, only then it can become identifiable and conjure empathy.

Compassion, by definition, is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. In our modern society, compassion plays a major role in the act of kindness. Many people believe that doing a good deed is a selfless act since they do not get nothing in return. Others believe that doing a good deed to make you feel good about yourself is selfish. It is a theory that causes you to ponder on the purpose of compassion. In Barbara Lazear Ascher’s essay, On Compassion, she contemplates this theory. By using a variety of writing techniques, Ascher is able to share her views on compassion in way that speaks to the audience.

Compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering (Dictionary.com). In the Annex you can see that many people are very compassionate towards each other. One example of this is when Peter’s cat gets lost and cannot be found. You’d expect for him to get told to suck it up and that it’s just a cat, and they’ve more important things to worry about. Instead of this you see that they try to find his cat and calm him down, which I think is very compassionate of them to think of Peter and how much he loves his cat instead of telling him to suck it up.

To me, compassion means to show sympathy for someone that is feeling pain; physically or emotionally. Compassion also means to show kindness to one another when in rough times. When an individual shows compassion to someone else, they comfort them, or make them feel better. It can also mean when someone sees need for one, and helps them. For example, a sign of compassion can be donating to a homeless shelter. Therefore, compassion can be expressed in many ways. Compassion is like a contagious illness. If you get it, you give it and if everyone showed compassion, everyone would receive it. Compassion is very important.

Compassion has little to no boundries. In almost every great story there is a specific character or a group of characters that help the protagonist because they feel bad for them. Compassion is the most important aspect of a functioning society; therefore, Elie Wiesel’s Night, 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose, and the generosity of spirit shown by the average citizen after the recent shooting in Las Vegas are all perfect examples.

To me compassion means to care and love one another. If you hate or dislike someone, that is not showing compassion. Compassion also means to understand if they are upset, for example if your friend has a breakup. I would want to help them get through the breakup and make them happy again.To love someone is a huge part of compassion. Love can make someone feel super special and have compassion. One other definition of compassion is to forgive someone. if you forgive someone they will be happy with you. Being happy is great and it shows compassion.

The definition of compassion is sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. Another definition of compassion is from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 33). This quote is from Atticus Finch, who is a moral character in the novel. Source A describes two people with lots of compassion. One of the people was very generous and had the opportunity to steal a man’s wallet, yet he chose to help the man by replacing the ruined bills and cleaning up his cards.

Sympathy. Feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune. In the novel 'Of Mice and Men', there a numerous characters you may feel sympathetic toward. Most especially Curley's wife. I hold the most compassion for Curley's wife because she was misunderstood and innocently killed.

Scouts Lessons in Compassion Compassion is a distinguishing quality. Associated with maturity and kindness, compassion is an emotional understanding or empathy for others that governs kind actions and citizenship. Throughout literacy, compassion resonates as a valuable lesson and skill for characters to learn because of its importance in a kind, functional society. Harper Lee uses compassion as a topic in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The childhood experience recounted in the novel help the protagonist, Jean Louise Finch, to grow compassionate through the teaching of important life lessons about injustice, empathy, and prejudice.

Compassion is a valuable human trait because it helps build relationships, shows your willingness to help others, and eliminates evils like biases based on appearances or culture. When we show compassion to others, it contributes to making us feel great about what we did. Victor was willing to dedicate his life to avenge his family because of his compassion for them (177). Victor spent countless hours and sleepless nights on trying to find a way of bringing the dead back to life.

The protagonist’s transformation begins when the bishop recognizes Jean Valjean’s human soul that is capable of goodness. When he is put out into the streets, Valjean goes from place to place being rejected for being a convict until he meets the bishop who sees him as a common person, “That men saw his mask, but the bishop saw his face”(75). Even though people might be good, they don’t always see someone’s true soul. The bishop’s simple act of kindness and deeper understanding

Jean Valjean sacrificed much as he sought redemption. One of the first sacrifices that Jean Valjean makes is that of his identity, during the Champmathieu affair. As Monsieur Madeleine, Jean Valjean was a trusted official in a high position. He struggled with himself when he heard that the ‘real’ Jean Valjean had been caught: should he stay in M—sur m—where he was comfortable and popular, or do the right thing, remove a man from an undeserved galley life, and become a convict once more. When Madeleine revealed himself as Jean Valjean, he forever gave up that comfortable position of authority. He became a convict again – a wanted convict. He would now live out the rest of his life hiding, of not running, from the police. Jean sacrificed his safety. Saving Marius’ life by carrying him through the sewers also proved to be a sacrifice. Jean’s entire existence revolved around Cosette. She was what kept him on the track the bishop set him on. He adored her. He was devastated to learn that she was in love with Marius, yet he saved