Compassion has become the buzz word of the day. But what does it really entail and why is it so significant to us all? Let’s try to answer this with an example… After being laid off work due to the pandemic, Binaifer has been struggling to make ends meet, and has been desperately job-hunting. She manages to get herself an interview but on the said day, is running real late because of traffic which has come to a standstill, due to sudden rains in Mumbai.

She arrives late at the interview location, and the interviewee already perceives her as an unpunctual person, thus forming a negative, unprofessional first impression about her. She starts explaining the sudden traffic jam issue to the interviewee. This could have two outcomes – either the interviewee might assume she’s making excuses and mentally decides not to hire her; or the interviewee understands her situation and allows her the interview, with an unbiased mind. The latter is an act of compassion – something we all possess but often fail to put into practice in our daily lives.

Being able to empathize with the struggles of another is an act of compassion. There are various other components of compassion – the following points provide a clearer understanding about the main components of compassion… and simultaneously offer you the chance to reflect on whether you practice these as well!

Less Judgement, More Understanding: You are less likely to judge another when you practice compassion because when you understand that ‘everyone has a reason for everything they do’, you begin to see another side to the story altogether. This is where understanding eventually sets in, lighting the path for you towards acceptance and burning the bridge towards judgement. When a friend arrives an hour late to meet you, you initially feel angry and irritable. But when they give you a genuine reason for their lateness, you realize that while your reaction was valid, you should have sought to understand first and judged them later. Put yourself in the shoes of the other person for a minute and voila! You’ll have a new outlook altogether. Try doing this each time you’re about to react negatively and you will have practiced compassion!

Increased Happiness, Decreased Depression: It’s pretty evident that happiness is tied to compassion. Consider how many people you can make happy simply by understanding them. As a result, the happier people are, the less they are prone to depression! This hereby also contributes to human development. Interesting fact: Bhutan evaluates growth in its country in terms of GNH (Gross National Happiness). Consider how compassion can help boost happiness in your own country, where you make a difference in people’s lives, individually and at the same time, contributing towards overall development of a country like India.

Forming Healthy Connections: Compassion is a tool that helps you form healthy connections. Imagine forming a connect based on mutual understanding, respect and genuineness. Forming bonds out of compassion can seem a little overwhelming initially, but you will eventually realize its value when such friendships blossom.

Improving Overall Relationships: Isn’t it amazing to be able to understand the people you care about? You not only lay the groundwork for a great relationship, but you also allow others to treat you with compassion. Remember, Compassion is a two-way street – a balance on both sides is necessary. Thus, it improves the overall relationships dynamic – that with others and yourself!

Compassion And Physical Health: Improved physical health is being increasingly related with self-compassion or the ability to be kind to yourself. The kinder you are to yourself, the less worry, stress, or even mental health concerns you will have, thus lowering your chance of heart disease, blood pressure issues and other ailments.

Not The Same As Sympathy: Do not confuse sympathy with compassion – there’s a fine line between the two. While sympathy allows us to comprehend the circumstances of others, compassion empowers us to alleviate their agony. We can also say that compassion is more action-oriented, whereas sympathy is more of an emotion.

Help Yourself First:  As eager as you are to save the world (and we all have that desire deep inside us), remember that you must first be compassionate to yourself before you can be compassionate to others… as much as the world deserves saving, so do you! Be your own hero! Self-compassion will not only help you become more conscious and understanding of your own well-being, but will eventually help you to improve the lives of others, while doing so for yourself as well.