Empathy is an example from life. An example of compassion from life. What is the difference between empathy and compassion?

Compassion is a quality that only a real person possesses. It allows you to come to the aid of your neighbor without hesitation when required; An empathetic person has the ability to feel the pain of his neighbor as well as his own. Sympathy is a very good topic for an essay in the Russian language.

Why write an essay about mercy?

That is why schoolchildren receive tasks of this kind. In the process of work, they can work in more detail on the topic of empathy for their neighbors, understand what mercy really is and how it is expressed. Essay “What is compassion?” - a good way for the writer himself to realize this quality in himself, to become more merciful towards his neighbors. What points can you mention in your work?

What is empathy?

Compassion is a person’s ability to feel what another person feels as if he himself were experiencing the same experiences. It differs from empathy - after all, you can empathize with another person not only in pain, but also in joy, fun, melancholy or boredom.

A compassionate and empathetic person is able to understand what is going on in the soul of another. It is believed that if a person is capable of compassion, it means that he really has a heart and soul and is capable of love. A spiritually rich person is capable of compassion. She is able to remember something from her experience when faced with the misfortune of her neighbor, to provide him with help and support, since she herself knows how difficult it is to be in such a situation.

Substitution of concepts

However, compassion does not always actually manifest itself as a positive quality. There are many variations of compassion, and one of them is pity. This type of attitude towards people is very common in the post-Soviet space. Often people don’t take care of their health, don’t play sports, don’t value themselves and their own lives. However, at the same time, public morality prohibits abandoning those who, through their actions, have deprived themselves of this health.

A classic example is the spouses of alcohol addicts who remain close to their weak-willed husbands, even when their passion for drinking has made them disabled. It may seem that such a woman really experiences real compassion: “How can he live without me now? He will completely die." And she puts her entire life on the altar of “salvation” for her weakling husband.

Pity or mercy?

However, this type of relationship can hardly be called compassion. A thoughtful schoolchild writing an essay “What is compassion?” will understand: in such behavior only one feeling shines through - pity. And moreover, if such a woman, of which there are many in Russia, did not think only about herself and her feelings, she would choose a completely different model of behavior. Truly compassionate to her weak-willed and lazy husband and wishing him well, she would have ended the relationship with him as soon as possible - and perhaps then he would have realized that his lifestyle was destructive both for his own body and mind, and for his family.

About empathy in wild tribes

In the essay “What is Compassion?” Some interesting facts can also be mentioned. For example, not all cultures perceive mercy or empathy in the same way as in Russia, or, for example, in America.

In the wild forests of the Amazon lives an unusual tribe, the Yekuana. It is quite numerous, consisting of about 10 thousand members. The display of compassion among the Yekuana representatives is significantly different from what we are used to. For example, if a child gets hurt, parents do not show any signs of empathy, they do not even try to feel sorry for him. If the baby does not need help, then they wait for the child to get up and catch up with them. If someone from this tribe gets sick, the other members of the tribe will do everything in their power to cure him. The Yekuana will give their fellow tribesman medicine or call upon spirits to restore him to health. But they will not feel sorry for the patient, and he will not bother other members of the tribe with his behavior. This is a rather unusual type of manifestation of compassion. However, it must be remembered that the Yekuana tribe is at the stage of a primitive communal system. Such an attitude is unlikely to be acceptable to a Westerner.

An unusual type of help

In the essay “What is Compassion?” one can give various examples of the manifestation of mercy, and also describe different types of this feeling. In psychology there is also a type of empathy called anticipatory empathy. Its meaning is that a person (most often a psychologist) helps a person who is feeling bad in an unusual way: he himself goes to ask him for advice.

Usually people are surprised that someone does not try to help or console them, but instead asks them for advice. However, according to psychologist R. Zagainov, who works in the field of sports achievements, this method always “works” - a person becomes better after he himself has helped another. In an essay on the topic “Compassion,” you can also mention such an unusual way of helping your neighbor.

Antipode of mercy

In the essay-reasoning “What is compassion?” We can also mention the opposite of this feeling, namely indifference. It is believed that it is the most terrible vice that can only be characteristic of a person. This opinion was held by Mother Teresa, and it is also written in the Bible.

The writer Bernard Shaw said that the worst crime a person can commit against other people is not to hate them, but to treat them with indifference. Indifference means the complete absence of any emotions. A person who doesn’t care what happens around him experiences neither positive nor negative experiences. And if the latter can still benefit his health (after all, as we know, negative emotions destroy the cells of the human body from the inside), then the absence of positive experiences is absolutely useless.

The famous Russian writer A.P. Chekhov also spoke about this. He called indifference “paralysis of the soul” and even “premature death.” If you think about it, the great writer is right in many ways - after all, an indifferent person is indifferent to the whole world around him. He is like a zombie who has an outer shell, but is completely devoid of feelings inside. In the essay “Empathy and Compassion,” a student can describe this type of mental callousness in more detail, telling, for example, about a real-life incident. After all, everyone has probably seen how indifference manifests itself towards the elderly, pregnant women, and sick people.

How to write a good essay?

An assignment on this topic requires compliance with all the rules for writing a school paper: it must be literate, contain an introduction, a main part in which the main points will be outlined point by point, as well as a conclusion. Without this, you can hardly count on a good grade on your essay. Whether empathy and compassion are needed or not - the student decides for himself in his work. He can adhere to any point of view, and it will not affect the result. But the lack of arguments, spelling or punctuation errors, insufficient volume of the essay - all this can affect the assessment of the essay. Of course, most likely, most students will agree that without these qualities it is difficult to live not only for those people who surround a callous person; and it’s hard for him to live with such a cruel heart.

Is mercy necessary - everyone's decision

However, to be merciful or cruel, everyone also decides for himself. You need to answer the question for yourself: do I myself need empathy and compassion? The essay only helps to suggest such reasoning. A person who lacks compassion for people and for all living things can gradually develop these qualities in himself. How to do it? The easiest way is good deeds. You can start helping first relatives and friends who need it, then strangers. Now many different social institutions need help. And in the West, experience of charity or volunteering is a significant plus when applying for a job.

(54 words) Compassion in literature is manifested not only between characters, but also in the author’s attitude towards his character. Thus, the author of the novel “Eugene Onegin” - Pushkin, sympathizes with Tatyana Larina, who finds herself in a tragic situation. She is hopelessly in love with Onegin, but remains faithful to her husband. “I shed tears with you” is a manifestation of the author’s compassion for his heroine.
(50 words) In the novel “Crime and Punishment,” compassion is one of the main character traits of Dostoevsky’s favorite heroine, Sonya Marmeladova. Having learned that Raskolnikov was suffering from the Fall, she did not turn away from him in fear, but, on the contrary, helped him take the true path of rebirth of the soul. It was Sonya who sympathized with the hero and did not let him go crazy.
(42 words) Compassion is the willingness to selflessly help people, and not just sympathize with their troubles. Natasha Rostova from Tolstoy’s War and Peace desperately helped wounded soldiers get out of the city, and the moment of the heroine’s farewell to Bolkonsky leaves no doubt that Andrei’s suffering was also unbearably difficult for her.
(47 words) In Kuprin’s story “The Lilac Bush,” the heroine sincerely sympathizes with her husband, who cannot pass the exam. He put a blot on the drawing and corrected it for a bush, but the professor did not credit the work. Vera pawned all her jewelry to buy a lilac bush and plant it in this place. The husband passed the exam, and she once again proved her devotion to him.
(60 words) In Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm,” Tikhon sympathizes with Katerina throughout the play, because he understands how difficult it is for her to establish relationships with Kabanikha, and is not even angry with her for betraying her. He feels sorry for his wife, but he is afraid to put his mother in her place. Only Katerina’s death and compassion for her fate prompted Tikhon to express his position to Kabanikha, however, unfortunately, his unexpressed sympathy did not correct the situation.
(54 words) Compassion is also self-sacrifice and nobility. In Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, Woland promises to fulfill the main character's desire. However, Margarita sacrifices this opportunity for herself, wanting to end the torment of Frida, whom she met at the ball. By saving Frida from the daily torture of the handkerchief with which she strangled her baby, Margarita shows mercy and compassion.
(46 words) Turning to Sholokhov’s story “The Fate of Man,” we understand how much compassion can help anyone. The main character, Andrei Sokolov, left alone after the war, meets a little boy Vanya, who was left an orphan. Showing condolences and humanity, the hero is called the boy's father and thereby gives him hope for a new life.
(49 words) What, if not compassion, can one feel for the main character of Karamzin’s story “Poor Liza”? The girl could not stand the test of unhappy love, and, finding herself alone without her beloved Erast, she threw herself into the water. Having compassion for the heroine, many readers cried over Lisa’s fate, because in such a situation it is difficult not to show compassion and remain indifferent.
(52 words) Compassion is one of the most important qualities in a person, helping to look at many things differently, and, perhaps, to be happy... What is difficult to say about the main character of Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time,” Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin. Often he put his own goals above the feelings of other people, and did not show compassion and empathy. Therefore, Pechorin remained a lonely and unhappy hero.
(60 words) The ability to compassion is valued in any manifestation: both in the willingness to listen and in the desire to help. The mercy of heroes with a difficult fate is especially appreciated, who, no matter what, are ready to lend a helping hand. Matryona from Solzhenitsyn’s story “Matryona’s Dvor” buried six children, remained poor in her old age, without receiving a pension. However, the heroine still showed compassion for others and selflessly helped people.

Arguments from personal life

(53 words) Often, showing compassion is caring. When my friend and I were walking in the park, I saw a chick lying on the grass. Looking up, I realized that he had accidentally fallen out of the nest. Realizing that he would not be able to climb back on his own, we decided to help him. Having taken the chick, we climbed the tree and put it back in the nest.
(43 words) My friend is studying to become a psychologist, she often talks about how compassion is an integral part of friendship. When I'm worried about something, she can help me, even just by listening and supporting me. Realizing that she has compassion for me, I begin to look at my problems differently.
(51 words) Recently our classmate was hospitalized. We were all worried and called him and his parents to find out about his well-being. As graduation approached, we thought the best way to express our compassion would be to make him happy. Therefore, on our common holiday, we decided to visit him, taking with us fruits and wishes for a speedy recovery.
(43 words) One of my friends believes that the duty of any person is to help others. Always sincerely sympathizing with sick people, he increasingly understood that his recognition was to become a worthy doctor. Thus, having determined his path in life, he realized that he could turn his compassion into real help to a person.
(58 words) My mother and I love watching dance shows, so we vote for our favorite artist. If he does not have enough votes and his continued participation in the project is in question, we continue to support him by leaving comments under videos of his performance. We understand that this is not an easy path, therefore, empathizing with the dancer, we are ready to help as best we can. Support is also one of the ways to express compassion.
(45 words) Last year, my neighbor at my desk was very worried before the test, although she thoroughly prepared for it at home. Realizing that she was worrying in vain, I calmed her down and supported her. She got an A and said that my compassion helped her stop stressing and focus on her assignments.
(59 words) One day, my friend showed compassion, fully supporting me and not leaving me to be sad alone. She and I were invited to a holiday with friends, and the day before I had a fever. I was very pleased that my friend not only did not go to the holiday without me, but also brought me medicine instead, sympathizing with my cold that appeared at such an inopportune time.
(49 words) My classmate often organizes trips to a shelter for homeless animals. She is always very worried about the fate of the animals that find themselves on the cold street, so she often saves money to buy them food. Her compassion not only helps people be kinder, but also saves animals from starvation. Any charity is a worthy manifestation of compassion.
(55 words) One day I noticed a friend’s aquarium with a small turtle. She said that she came across an advertisement about giving the animal to good hands. At first she doubted whether to respond, but decided to call anyway. The owner explained that due to the move they were forced to give up the turtle, and my friend could not indifferently give up the animal. So compassion gave her a new friend.
(58 words) My friend always shows compassion for others when helping older people. Every time grandma has a hard time going up the stairs, he either takes her arm or helps her carry her bag. He also always responds when it is necessary to help an elderly person cross the road. My friend believes that everyone can feel sorry for others, but showing compassion and helping is a completely different matter.

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Sympathy, compassion, support... We hear these words since childhood, but we do not always understand their true meaning. I still only intuitively define the line between compassion and empathy, but support should accompany both of these concepts.

I used a dictionary to find out the meaning of the terms that interested me. According to Ozhegov and Shvedova, compassion is “pity, sympathy caused by someone’s misfortune, grief,” and sympathy is “a responsive, sympathetic attitude towards the experiences and misfortune of others.” Thus, we can conclude that compassion is one of the aspects of empathy.

Support, in my opinion, is helping a person who is in some kind of trouble. But it does not have to be material or physical. In my opinion, moral support is quite enough to inspire gratitude. Of course, I do not believe that helping is necessary for the sake of reciprocal favors. True support is selfless, it is provided with the best intentions, empathy and compassion for the person.

You can give many examples of sympathy, compassion, and support from literary works. But, unfortunately, no fewer examples can be selected from real life.

Usually the people closest to him have compassion for him. Friends and relatives know you better than others, they understand how to support you and prevent you from making a mistake. I'm not an exception. When my good friend had troubles in her family, I did not talk about how her relatives were to blame, or about her own lack of restraint and stupidity. I just found those words that lifted my friend’s spirits, made her feel that she was not alone, that not everything was lost. Based on my own experience, I will assume that the compassion that can be accepted by a strong person must be sincere and heartfelt. If you understand that the situation does not evoke a response in your soul, try to find practical advice so as not to offend a relative, friend or acquaintance with indifference.

When misfortune befalls a person, he needs support and compassion. It is always easier to endure something, knowing that you are not alone, that someone understands you and your condition. The most important aspect of compassion is the ability to feel the experiences of another person, accept them and show it. Naturally, in order to be able to do this, you need to be somewhat empathic. It is unlikely that a cold and callous person can experience compassion - he is too closed for this.

In my understanding, a person who experiences compassion must have rich life experience, remember his emotional state when he was bad, bitter, offensive, in order to resurrect it at the right moment.

A parent, or best friend in the same painful situation. Quite naturally your heart will open and awaken within you sympathy: What will you desire more than to free them from this torment? Now take this compassion, born in your heart, and transfer it to the person who needs your help. You will find that your...

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Sympathy And compassion is determined by a person’s ability to experience imaginary situations and sensations that the interlocutor describes. Let's say our loved one... actually found themselves in a similar situation and would have experienced all this themselves. The same thing happens with the center of pain and with the center of disgust. But sympathy And compassion, as it turned out, only honest people call. 16 women and the same number of men took part in the experiment. Psychologists invited two actors who were supposed to play...

https://www.site/psychology/13195

Compassion is the ability to empathize and sympathize to another person. This is the ability to understand the experiences and feelings of another. Carl Rogers called this ability empathy. Compassion You can develop it by trying to step into another person’s shoes, to find yourself in “his shoes,” as if something had happened to you. Compassion...to free oneself from the prison of isolation, expanding the limits of one's own compassion. You just have to look for at least some opportunity every day...

https://www.site/psychology/111859

Develop your authentic self sympathy to the suffering of other beings and a willingness to help them overcome pain. And then we ourselves will have more serenity and inner strength. We all need love Love and compassion are the source of the greatest... all beings are equal in their desire for happiness and the right to achieve it, then you automatically begin to feel for them compassion and intimacy. By accustoming your mind to this universal altruism, you cultivate a sense of responsibility for others: the desire is active...

sympathy and pity for the poor. Does life need sympathy and regret? Help me write a short essay) I probably got the best answer

Answer from Yovyatoslav Guardian[master]
Sympathy and regrets in moral terms will not be out of place, but society has grown to such a level that people are constantly being hypocritical, even in the banal “How are you?” - “Normal,” but things, let’s say, are a nightmare.
Currying favor with other people is becoming more and more widespread. Some people, after such a poor life, have the opinion that behind sympathy lies mockery of him, which, of course, is unpleasant. Imagine if you were in poverty, and you would be constantly sympathized with. But what will it be? Sincerity? Obligation? Or ethics? More and more people are inclined to oblige, which, rather, makes a person’s soul even more painful than simply walking nearby and not even paying attention.
My opinion: any gesture towards sympathy for the poor should be supported by virtue, no matter: Monetary or labor. Otherwise, words lose all meaning or take on a different, sometimes unkind, meaning.

Answer from Ann S.L.[newbie]
maybe it will help)))
Sympathy, compassion, support... We hear these words since childhood, but we do not always understand their true meaning. I still only intuitively define the line between compassion and empathy, but support should accompany both of these concepts.
I used a dictionary to find out the meaning of the terms that interested me. According to Ozhegov and Shvedova, compassion is “pity, sympathy caused by someone’s misfortune, grief,” and empathy is “a responsive, sympathetic attitude towards the experiences and misfortune of others.” Thus, we can conclude that compassion is one of the aspects of empathy.
Support, in my opinion, is helping a person who is in some kind of trouble. But it does not have to be material or physical. In my opinion, moral support is quite enough to inspire gratitude. Of course, I do not believe that helping is necessary for the sake of reciprocal favors. True support is selfless, it is provided with the best intentions, empathy and compassion for the person.
You can give many examples of sympathy, compassion, and support from literary works. But, unfortunately, no fewer examples can be selected from real life.
Usually the people closest to him have compassion for him. Friends and relatives know you better than others, they understand how to support you and prevent you from making a mistake. I'm not an exception. When my good friend had troubles in her family, I did not talk about how her relatives were to blame, or about her own lack of restraint and stupidity. I just found those words that lifted my friend’s spirits, made her feel that she was not alone, that not everything was lost. Based on my own experience, I will assume that the compassion that can be accepted by a strong person must be sincere and heartfelt. If you understand that the situation does not evoke a response in your soul, try to find practical advice so as not to offend a relative, friend or acquaintance with indifference.
When misfortune befalls a person, he needs support and compassion. It is always easier to endure something, knowing that you are not alone, that someone understands you and your condition. The most important aspect of compassion is the ability to feel the experiences of another person, accept them and show it. Naturally, in order to be able to do this, you need to be somewhat empathic. It is unlikely that a cold and callous person can experience compassion - he is too closed for this.
In my understanding, a person who experiences compassion must have rich life experience, remember his emotional state when he was bad, bitter, offensive, in order to resurrect it at the right moment.

Answer from Emka Magdieva[guru]
There lived a blind man. He sat on the street right on the asphalt and begged for alms. Next to him lay a piece of the canyon with the inscription: “I’m blind, help!”
They gave him very little money.
One day a girl approached him. She read the inscription and gave alms. But her actions did not end there. She corrected the writing on the cardboard. While she was writing, the blind man touched her shoes and remembered them by touch. Then the girl left. Since then they began to give the blind man a lot, a lot of money.
At the end of the working day, the girl approached him again. He asked: “Honey, what did you do?” It turns out that she wrote on the cardboard: “This day is beautiful, but I don’t see it.” "
So the nobility and compassion of a young girl made a blind man rich and happy.
IT'S ABOUT COMPASSION FOR THE POOR

Answer from Pussy[newbie]
Thus, sympathy, taken for banal pity, can really become humiliation if the person is able to cope with his troubles himself. As far as I understand, the perception of compassion, empathy and support depends on the character and willpower of the person. On the other hand, if people do not sympathize with each other, they will become rigid. Then we can forget about mutual assistance. Such a path will be ruinous for humanity. I believe that people who are sympathetic, compassionate, and provide support to others will never be left alone, without friends, without those who can lend a shoulder in difficult times. And it's wonderful.

Answer from Evgeniy Fedorkin[newbie]
aaa

Answer from Freckle[expert]
By sympathizing with someone, a person seems to be living through a difficult moment in someone else’s life and giving a piece of himself to save the desperate one.
For me, the ability to understand, hear and take a blow to my soul addressed to another is fundamental in relationships...
Full text here:

Answer from 3 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: sympathy and regret for the poor. Does life need sympathy and regret? Help me write a short essay) perhaps