The most common threat to compassion is not outright hostility and conflict, but rather it is indifference.
By withdrawing sympathetic understanding and caring, indifference comes to prevail and threatens the human underpinnings of our interactions with others; and it is an enduring threat to true success.
The threat of indifference reminds us that compassion is not inevitable, but rather it is a virtuous choice. It is the decent and right way to act. Being successful and living a good life demands that we react compassionately and not indifferently to the world we live in.
Getting Personal
In today’s competitive world, isn’t it a bit risky to be frequently compassionate? Won’t aggressive and competitive types try to take advantage of you, and treat you like a pushover? Is being a compassionate person a practical goal in today’s highly competitive society?
“We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German theologian, pastor)
“Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn’t anyone who doesn’t appreciate kindness and compassion.” (Dalai Lama, 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet)
What is compassion? An interpretation.
**** Top of post image (Compassion) by David Burke, from dreamstime.com
