compassion means “to suffer together.” It is the feeling that you experience when you feel the need or the want to relieve someone’s suffering.Compassion differs from empathy and altruism.
It adds a layer to the concept of empathy. It isn’t just about being able to understand what others are going through. Compassion means having the desire to help on top of those feelings of empathy.
But it is less than altruism because altruism is the behavior prompted by feelings of compassion. It is important to note that you can feel compassion without acting on it, and you can be altruistic without feeling compassion.
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