the importance of compassion

Have you noticed that it feels better to be the person giving something rather than being the one receiving something? This clearly indicates how generosity and compassion have a strong connection with our health and happiness. 

Compassion is a natural instinct within us all. This is why an act of compassion provides numerous benefits both for the giver as well as the receiver. 

Compassion is all about recognizing the suffering of others and wanting to help them. It’s not exclusively about feeling empathetic, but also about taking action towards relieving this suffering with kindness, care and support. Mindfulness and awareness are, hence, greatly important to be compassionate in our everyday interactions with others.

Compassion is an essential ingredient of living an authentic life, and plays a crucial role in our well-being. As the Dalai Lama once said, “We can live without religion. We cannot live without human compassion”. 

Science backs this truth. It has been proven that people with high levels of compassion are happier than everyone else. Positive Psychology founder Martin Seligman has also pointed out that connecting with others in a meaningful way improves physical and mental health and even helps in preventing diseases. This is the primary reason why kind and compassionate people live longer lives. 

In a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health, brain-imaging tests showed that when we give something, we activate the pleasure centers of our brain. In one test, reports unanimously revealed that spending money on other people feels better than spending money on yourself.

Compassion also promotes inner peace and eliminates stress according to certain studies. In addition, it has been shown that compassion improves our relationships, both professional and personal, leading to increased productivity and better performance at work, and more happiness and harmony at home.

So, whether we look at compassion through a spiritual or scientific lens, we can safely conclude that it’s an important personality trait to have. A little act of compassion goes a long way, and it creates a meaningful impact, both in our lives and others’.