What does compassion mean?

While there is no single all-encompassing definition of compassion, it is generally understood to be a response to the suffering of another person.

The kind of suffering we’re responding to could be a variety of things ranging from physical, emotional or mental pain brought on by anything from disease to injury to a general dissatisfaction with life. The cause of the discomfort may come from external or interpersonal events, real or imagined. In any case, it is our care or concern for the person suffering that is considered compassion.

What are the different types of compassion?

Compassionate Responses

As mentioned, there are many interpretations of compassion, focusing on different aspects of our response to suffering. One way to categorize different types of compassion is by the varying focus of our response, including our feelings, actions, concerns, and intentions:

• empathic compassion: focusing on feeling the emotions experienced by the person who is suffering.
• action compassion: focusing on actions that attempt to relieve physical and emotional pain.
• concerned compassion: concern for the person who is suffering, emphasizing the compassionate person’s motivation (a desire, urge, or feeling) to alleviate suffering.
• aspirational compassion: Buddhists describe something somewhat different, a compassion that is more cognitive than emotional, an aspiration or intention.

Immediacy of Compassion

Compassion can also be distinguished by the immediacy of response: responding to the current or future anticipated suffering of someone.

• Proximal compassion: compassion to alleviate suffering felt right now. Proximal compassion is often closely tied with our current emotional state. Example: listening empathically to a friend in distress.
• Distal compassion: compassion to avoid suffering in the future. Distal compassion often involves more cognition as it involves 2 components:

1. Recognizing the problem that lies ahead.
2. Being willing to engage in actions necessary to avoid future suffering, even if it requires some sacrifices now. Example: telling your child to wear their helmet when riding their bicycle to avoid injury.

Target of Compassion

We can feel compassion towards our family members, friends, strangers, and even animals. Dr. Ekman distinguishes four main targets of our compassion:

Learn More about Compassion

Explore the compassion page to learn the benefits of compassion, and watch insightful conversations on global compassion between Dr. Ekman and the Dalai Lama.