Compassion

What We Mean by Compassion

Many of us confuse compassion with empathy because we equate it with the ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. In reality, they are two different dimensions: empathy is the perception of others’ feelings, thoughts, and actions, while compassion is a positive emotion that occurs when we not only perceive another person’s suffering but also try to alleviate it. Compassion therefore goes beyond empathy, existing at a higher level. Compassion literally means ‘to suffer with’ (from Latin ‘cum-patire’) and requires the ability to recognize what another person feels without judging them. In psychology and neuroscience, compassion has been the subject of many studies that explore its roots, how it can be developed, and how it can impact people’s psychological and physical well-being.

Neuroscience of Compassion

From an evolutionary and functional perspective of basic social motivational systems (e.g., living in groups, forming hierarchies and ranks, seeking sexual partners, helping and sharing alliances, and caring for relatives) and various functional emotional systems (e.g., responding to threats, seeking resources, and achieving states of satisfaction/security), Paul Gilbert argues that about 2 million years ago, (pre)humans began developing a set of cognitive skills to reason, reflect, anticipate, imagine, mentalize, and create a socially contextualized sense of self. These new skills could conflict with older motivational and emotional systems since our brain has a basic “design” that is easily triggered by threats, responding with destructive behaviors and mental healthWhat is meant by mental health? According to the World Healt... More issues.

However, mammals, and humans in particular, have also evolved motivations and emotions for affiliative, caregiving, and altruistic behaviors that can organize our brains in ways that significantly compensate for our destructive potential. The ability of individuals to access, tolerate, and mentally direct affiliative motivations and emotions, for themselves and for others, and cultivate inner compassion, is thus a pathway to organize the human brain in prosocial and mentally healthy ways. In line with this perspective, data from a recent study by Kim and colleagues published in Nature suggest that self-critical images can activate subcortical pathways similar to those processing threatening stimuli, automatically and unconsciously. Both these subconscious threat-processing pathways and those of self-compassion involve the amygdala"The amygdala is a gray matter structure named after its cha... More and the visual cortex.

How Compassion Manifests

Compassion can be practiced through empathy, attention, and kindness. Empathy allows us to understand others’ emotions, attention makes us aware of their needs, and kindness enables us to be present and act to alleviate suffering. All of these skills can be developed through meditation, mental training, and the practice of self-awarenessIl termine autoconsapevolezza si riferisce primariamente all... More. In particular, practicing self-awareness by being present in the moment and paying attention to our emotions and those of others can help develop compassion both toward ourselves and toward others.

Self-Compassion

Self-compassion (often referred to as ‘self-compassion’ using the original English term) is a form of compassion toward oneself. It was introduced as a subject of study by Kristin Neff – an American psychologist at the University of California – in her 2003 book. Since then, self-compassion has been the subject of over 500 scientific studies, demonstrating many benefits. When we are compassionate toward ourselves, we can accept our imperfections and difficulties without excessive self-judgment. A compassionate attitude toward oneself and one’s vulnerabilities aims to break self-critical thought patterns: accepting oneself means developing a new way of taking care of oneself and loving oneself. Self-compassion can help reduce stressWhat is stress? From a clinical perspective, stress is a phy... More and anxietyAnxiety is an emotional response characterized by feelings o... More and improve psychological well-being. For example, if we feel sad or depressed, we can begin being compassionate with ourselves instead of judging ourselves negatively. This helps reduce the intensity of negative emotions and increase resilienceWhat is meant by resilience? According to the American Psych... More.

All the Benefits of a Compassionate Attitude

Compassion toward others has numerous mental and physical health benefits. When we focus on others’ needs, we can create meaningful and positive relationships. Scientific research has highlighted many benefits associated with compassion. Let’s see them:

• Reduces depressionDepression is a disorder characterized by persistent sadness... More, anxiety, and stress
• Promotes a positive and kind attitude toward situations and people
• Alleviates stress and prevents occupational burnout
• Strengthens the immune system
• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces chronic pain
• Has a powerful palliative effect in terminal illnesses and increases lifespan

Innate or Acquired?

The answer to this question is not straightforward, as researchers have observed that both genetics and environment can influence its development. According to the human sciences, compassion is an innate and essential feeling in human relationships. Studies have shown its primarily biological dimension: it is linked to parental caregiving abilities, which John Bowlby made famous in his attachment research. At the same time, proper formation of the attachment bond in childhood – what Bowlby calls ‘secure attachment’ – allows a person, once they reach adulthood, to have balanced relationships and care for the well-being of others. In Bowlby’s theory, there is therefore a reciprocal relationship between genetic and environmental elements that enables and promotes compassion.

Compassion Can Be Learned

Thanks to the extraordinary brain plasticityIn the neuroscientific field, brain plasticity refers to the... More of humans, compassion, like any other human skill, can be learned and strengthened through an appropriate educational process. We could even say, ultimately, that compassion is one of the highest achievements an educational process can accomplish. As Patrizio Paoletti writes in the teaching kit: “Forgiveness Gratitude Compassion”:

“Compassion, therefore, dwells in those who have their eyes open to themselves, and by looking at themselves, and looking at the world, recognize themselves as part of it, within limits and possibilities, committing to seize possibilities and reduce limits. Compassion therefore lives in those who take action – and deliberately I do not say effort, because effort is everything that precedes this action; the action itself requires no effort, as it is a simple illumination, like pressing a switch and knowing the light will turn on – compassion, I said, lives in those who carry out the action of ending the delusion of omnipotence, reducing themselves to themselves. Evaluating themselves rightly, therefore, rightly evaluating the human condition, its miseries, and the new possible goals for this species. Compassion is therefore the true springboard for a new life. Those in whom compassion does not dwell are of no real benefit to the world. Only a compassionate being represents a true benefit to the world, not because they make more effort than others to improve it, but because they represent more than others the goal humanity must reach. It is a fundamental passage. My value is not in effort, our value is not in effort, our value is in what we host within us.”

Patrizio Paoletti, Forgiveness Gratitude Compassion, p. 61