A life example of empathy. Examples of compassion from life experience

an essay on whether sympathy and compassion are needed in lifeplan: and got the best answer

Answer from
Now there are a lot of people doing bad deeds towards animals. Of course, this is very bad. Every person should show empathy and compassion.
Very often on the streets, in the subway and in other places you can meet stray dogs and cats. Of course, all these animals cannot be sheltered, fed and caressed. After all, there are a lot of them! But people still try, open shelters or take them home. And by doing such things, many find happiness. Unfortunately, there are few such people on Earth. There are those who are indifferent to this, and there are those who harm animals. For example, it can be poachers or just ordinary people. Once I saw a man kick a dog for no reason, which was lying quietly on the ground. Maybe this person was having a bad day or something? But what about the dog? She's not to blame for anything. Looking at how this terrible man treats animals, it is impossible not to show empathy and compassion. Luckily, not everyone is that bad.
I would like there to be many such good people, because by doing good and helping others, we do good and help the whole world.
Option 2: Do you need empathy and compassion in life? Each person will answer this question: "Yes". After all, every person has a heart that gives rise to sympathy and compassion.
Sympathy is a feeling when you express your sadness, pity. Many people sympathize with homeless cats and dogs. And some express compassion, that is, in addition to sympathy, they also try to help them. For example, homeless animals are taken to a shelter.
But people not only express sympathy and compassion for animals, but also for relatives and friends.
Man is destined to treat the world around him with indifference. No matter how hard a person tries not to pay attention, he still has sadness in his soul.

Answer from Kostya Artemiev[newbie]
Compassion, sympathy are those qualities that not every person possesses, but one way or another they arise in any person throughout life. They are caused by a situation that seems to us compassionate, sad, and there is a desire to help a person. These situations are different, they can concern any sphere, any period of life, and in terms of significance they can be either small or quite serious. In any case, if a person has a feeling of compassion, it means that he wants and is ready to help... So, for example, a mother, seeing her child crying, wants to hug him, kiss him and tell him how good he is.... Similarly, seeing crippled man begging, we have a choice - to help him or not. The choice is for everyone. One will pass by and not even pay attention to the cripple.. the other will give some money or a piece of bread... Why is the feeling of compassion not given to everyone? does this speak of innate aggression or anger and infantilism? and yes, and no ... it is impossible to say unequivocally that those people who do not tend to worry about others, sympathize with tough and soulless. most likely, these people are simply restrained in their feelings or they have other qualities

It is generally accepted that a person is a social being, capable of sympathy for his neighbor. The very concept of compassion involves experiencing together with someone his pain - suffering together. Oddly enough, opinions differ about how appropriate this feeling is and whether it is necessary in human society.

Compassion as a hindrance

Someone dares to state directly that this is absolutely useless, and gives another example of compassion from life (fortunately, you can find an illustration of any way of thinking in it): a woman walked to herself, saw a homeless puppy, felt sorry, fed, and then an ungrateful dog grew up and bit the child of her savior.

This is followed by Nietzsche's reflections that the weak must perish, and the strong, accordingly, must survive. If you think in this way, the question of whether sympathy and compassion are needed in life is ruled out in principle. In fairness, it should be noted that all these arguments are characteristic of people who are either mentally ill (to which the founder of the theory himself belonged), or emotionally immature - due to age or lack of imagination.

The quality of a developed person

The ability for abstract thinking in the process of compassion is necessary: we often sympathize with people in whose place we have never been (and thank God). Physical or mental injury and loss evoke a feeling of compassion - perhaps only due to the fact that a person is able to use his own, similar (even the most insignificant) experience to imagine how someone who is even less fortunate should feel.

Experience, son of difficult mistakes

This brings us to the popular belief that in order to feel someone else's pain, you must experience your own at least once. On the one hand, this is true - each of us can confirm that other people's feelings become much more understandable when you yourself experience similar ones. Daughters begin to understand their mothers much better after giving birth to their own child. Having suffered humiliation at school, it is easier to imagine yourself in the place of an outcast.

On the other hand, the notorious personal experience is not necessarily the key to success: every example of compassion from life is balanced by its opposite. Indicative in this respect is the army hazing: yesterday they humiliated me, today I humiliate. Such revenge, directed at the whole world around, is the other side of sympathy. How each of us uses our life experience depends on the personality of the person, his upbringing, the environment in which he lives, and many other factors.

Feeling and deed

If strictly adhere to the factual side, compassion is just a feeling. In itself, it is fruitless and is intended only to motivate to action - to come to the rescue. Conversely, in order to receive help, compassion must first be aroused. Examples from people's lives focus, in principle, on this. Here is a man who came from another city, received a salary and agreed to drink in a warm company of unfamiliar people (the act itself is far from optimal, but, as a rule, any trouble is preceded by stupidity). Newly acquired comrades drugged him with God knows what, took the money and threw the poor fellow on the side of the road.

A guy walks by, stops, finds out what's wrong, and gives money for travel home. Someone will say that it is real, but it may well be that it is so indicative only because in this case the feeling gave rise to action.

old problem

In the course of reflections on the nature of empathy, it is customary to delve into the shades of concepts and say that compassion elevates, pity humiliates, various interpretations, subtle nuances are given. The famous Austrian writer S. Zweig introduced another concept related to the subject - "impatience of the heart." He wrote a story of the same name, the central theme of which was compassion. The essay, in which examples from life are bright, interesting and very illustrative, can be considered a deep and very ambiguous philosophical development of the concept of sympathy and responsibility for it.

So, a young man meets a crippled girl who falls deeply in love with him. In a fit of compassion (is it his?), the hero decides to marry her. Further, his internal torments are described in detail, resulting in a tragedy: the abandoned heroine ends her life by suicide.

This situation is literary, but a similar example of compassion from life, albeit not as dramatic, is not as difficult to find as it seems: in the next entrance there lives an unwanted child, almost a homeless child. His mother drinks bitterly, his stepfather mocks him. One "beautiful" night, the boy finds himself on the street, and compassionate neighbors pick him up. He spends the night there for a day or two, and then no one wants to take responsibility or mess with someone else's child, and as a result he again finds himself in the circle of his so-called family.

For a while, the boy comes to the people who helped him: he brings flowers, tries to communicate, but does not find understanding: they are busy with their problems, they are not up to him. He becomes angry and goes to wander.

Impatience of the heart

It is logical to assume that in the matter of compassion, as in any other, one must either complete what has been started, or not start at all.

In the book, the theme develops in a peculiar way: a young man, tormented by the pangs of remorse, comes to the doctor of the deceased bride, and it turns out that he did the exact opposite in a similar situation: he married his blind patient, devoting his whole life to her.

The author puts the following thought into the mouth of this character: sometimes, they say, true compassion, and sometimes just impatience of the heart - a feeling that arises in each of us when we see someone's pain or trouble. This causes discomfort in the souls of others, a desire to fix it as soon as possible - not in order to help the sufferer, but in order to regain their own peace of mind. And our fussy, inconsistent actions can lead to truly dramatic consequences.

Another example of compassion from life, which can rightfully be considered the classic “impatience of the heart” according to Zweig, is alms given in an underground passage to a dirty woman with a sleeping child in her arms. Thousands of words have already been said and printed about drugged, unfortunate children, thanks to which unscrupulous people are enriched - their place is in hard labor, with an iron ball on their feet. But no: with enviable tenacity, citizens continue to throw change into a beggar's cardboard box, thus investing in infanticide. Is this not a mockery of such categories as sympathy, compassion, support?

First, think

Apparently, everything must be approached, listening to the voice of not only the heart, but also the mind. Even the Christian religion, calling for mercy, at the same time says: “Let your alms sweat in your hands before you know to whom you give” (Teaching of the 12 Apostles, chapter 1, v. 6). This advice is interpreted in different ways, but also in the sense that it is not necessary to support the “covetous man”. It is unlikely that the money handed over to an alcoholic for vodka or a drug addict for his infernal potion is a manifestation of compassion - rather, it is a desire to get rid of it as soon as possible.

One more question is also very important: "Is sympathy and compassion necessary in life, requiring sacrifices from a person and thereby giving rise to a kind of chain reaction?" The same doctor from the already mentioned book, married to an unloved woman, inevitably arouses sympathy, like herself. Is it right for a person to sacrifice himself for the sake of empathy, or such actions destroy both the receiver and the giver?

Anyone who has at least a drop of gratitude in his life can give examples of mercy and compassion from his life. It is unlikely that there is a person in the world who has never been helped by anyone in his life. As well as a villain who has not done a single good deed... We all give and receive - and everyone decides for himself the question of the proportionality of what is given and what is received.

(54 words) Compassion in literature is manifested not only between the characters, but also in the attitude of the author to his character. So, the author of the novel "Eugene Onegin" - Pushkin, sympathizes with Tatyana Larina, who found herself in a tragic situation. She is hopelessly in love with Onegin, but remains faithful to her husband. “I shed tears together with you” is a manifestation of the author’s compassion for his heroine.
(50 words) In the novel "Crime and Punishment" compassion is one of the main character traits of Dostoevsky's beloved heroine Sonya Marmeladova. Upon learning that Raskolnikov was tormented by the fall, she did not turn away from him in fear, but, on the contrary, helped him to embark on the true path of the rebirth of the soul. It was Sonya who sympathized with the hero and did not let him go crazy.
(42 words) Compassion is the willingness to selflessly help people, and not just empathize with their troubles. Natasha Rostova from Tolstoy's "War and Peace" desperately helped the wounded soldiers get out of the city, and the moment of the heroine's farewell to Bolkonsky leaves no doubt that Andrei's suffering was also unbearably hard for her.
(47 words) In Kuprin's story "The Lilac Bush", the heroine sincerely sympathizes with her husband, who cannot pass the exam. He put a blot on the drawing and corrected it for a bush, but the professor did not credit the work. Vera pawned all her jewels to buy a lilac bush and plant it there. The husband passed the exam, and she once again proved her devotion to him.
(60 words) In Ostrovsky's play The Thunderstorm, Tikhon sympathizes with Katerina throughout the play, because he understands how difficult it is for her to establish relations with Kabanikha, and is not even angry with her for treason. He feels sorry for his wife, but he is afraid to put his mother in her place. Only the death of Katerina and compassion for her fate prompted Tikhon to express his position to Kabanikha, however, unfortunately, his unexpressed sympathy did not improve the situation.
(54 words) Compassion is also self-sacrifice and nobility. In Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, Woland promises to fulfill the wish of the main character. However, Margarita sacrifices this opportunity for herself, wanting to end the torment of Frida, whom she met at the ball. Saving Frida from the daily torture in the form of a handkerchief with which she strangled her baby, Margarita shows mercy and compassion.
(46 words) Turning to Sholokhov's story "The Fate of a Man", we understand how much compassion can help anyone. The main character, Andrei Sokolov, left alone after the war, meets a little boy Vanya, who was left an orphan. Showing condolences and humanity, the hero is called the boy's father and thus gives him hope for a new life.
(49 words) What, if not compassion, can one feel for the main character of Karamzin's story "Poor Liza"? The girl could not stand the test of unhappy love, and, finding herself alone without her beloved Erast, she threw herself into the water. Sympathizing with the heroine, many readers cried over the fate of Lisa, because in such a situation it is difficult not to show compassion and remain indifferent.
(52 words) Compassion is one of the most important qualities in a person, helping to look at many things differently, and, perhaps, be happy ... What can be said about the main character of Lermontov's novel "A Hero of Our Time" Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin. Often he put his goals above the feelings of other people, did not show compassion and sympathy. Therefore, Pechorin remained a lonely and unhappy hero.
(60 words) The ability to be compassionate is valued in any manifestation: both in the willingness to listen and in the desire to help. The mercy of heroes with a difficult fate is especially appreciated, who, in spite of everything, are ready to give a helping hand. Matryona from Solzhenitsyn's story "Matryona Dvor" buried six children, remained poor in old age, not receiving a pension. However, the heroine still showed compassion for others and selflessly helped people.

Arguments from personal life

(53 words) Often, showing compassion is caring. When my friend and I were walking in the park, I saw a baby bird lying on the grass. Looking up, I realized that he had accidentally fallen out of the nest. Realizing that he would not be able to climb back on his own, we decided to help him. Taking the chick, we climbed the tree and put it back in the nest.
(43 words) My friend is a psychology student and she often talks about how compassion is an integral part of friendship. When I'm worried about something, she can help me, even just by listening and supporting me. Realizing that she sympathizes with me, I begin to look at my problems differently.
(51 words) Recently, a classmate of ours was hospitalized. We all worried, called him and his parents to find out about his well-being. On the eve of graduation, we thought that the best expression of our compassion would be to please him. Therefore, on our common holiday, we decided to visit him, taking with us fruits and wishes for a speedy recovery.
(43 words) One of my acquaintances believes that the duty of any person is to help others. Always sincerely sympathizing with sick people, he increasingly understood that his recognition was to become a worthy doctor. So, having determined his life path, he realized that he could turn his compassion into a real help to a person.
(58 words) Mom and I love to watch dance shows, so we vote for our favorite artist. If he does not have enough votes and his further participation in the project is in doubt, we continue to support him by leaving comments under the videos with his performance. We understand that this is not an easy path, therefore, empathizing with the dancer, we are ready to help in any way we can. Support is also one of the ways to express compassion.
(45 words) Last year, my classmate was very worried before the test, although she thoroughly prepared for it at home. Realizing that she was worrying in vain, I reassured her and supported her. She got an A and said that my compassion helped her stop being nervous and focus on her assignments.
(59 words) One day my friend showed compassion, fully supporting me and not leaving me to be sad. She and I were invited to a party with friends, and the day before I had a fever. I was very pleased that my friend not only did not go to the holiday without me, but instead brought me medicines, sympathizing with my cold that appeared so at the wrong time.
(49 words) My classmate often arranges trips to the animal shelter. She is always very worried about the fate of the little animals that find themselves on a cold street, so she often saves money to buy food for them. Her compassion not only helps people to be kinder, but also saves animals from starvation. Any charity is a worthy manifestation of compassion.
(55 words) Once I noticed a friend's aquarium with a small turtle. She said that she came across an advertisement for the return of the animal in good hands. At first she doubted whether to respond, but decided to call anyway. The owner explained that due to the move they were forced to give away the turtle, and my friend could not indifferently refuse the animal. So compassion gave her a new friend.
(58 words) Compassion for others is always shown by my friend, helping the elderly. Every time grandma has a hard time climbing the stairs, he either takes her by the arm or helps her carry her bag. He also always responds when it is necessary to help an elderly person cross the road. My friend believes that anyone can feel sorry for others, but showing compassion and helping is a completely different matter.

Essay by a Grade 11A Graduate Fionkina Julia

Sympathy, compassion, support… We have been hearing these words since childhood, but we do not always understand their true meaning. I still only intuitively define the boundary between compassion and empathy, but support should accompany both of these concepts.

I used the explanatory dictionary to find out the meaning of the terms of interest to me. According to Ozhegov and Shvedova, compassion is "pity, sympathy caused by someone's misfortune, grief", and sympathy is "a responsive, sympathetic attitude to the experiences, misfortune of others." Thus, we can conclude that compassion is one of the sides of sympathy.

Support is, in my opinion, helping a person who is in some kind of trouble. But it doesn't have to be tangible or physical. In my opinion, moral support is quite enough to cause gratitude. Of course, I do not think that it is necessary to help for the sake of reciprocal services. Real support is disinterested, it is given out of good intentions, sympathizing and compassion for the person.

There are many examples of sympathy, compassion, support from literary works. But, unfortunately, no less examples can be picked up from real life. Usually close people sympathize with a person. Friends and relatives know you better than others, they understand how to support you, not to let you make a mistake. I'm not an exception. When my good friend got into family troubles, I didn't talk about the fault of the relatives, or about her own intemperance and stupidity. I just found those words that cheered up my friend, made her feel that she was not alone, that not everything was lost.

Based on my own experience, I will assume that the compassion that can be accepted by a strong person should be sincere, cordial. If you understand that the situation does not evoke a response in your soul, try to find advice that has been tested in practice so as not to offend a relative, friend or acquaintance with indifference. When misfortune befalls a person, he needs support and compassion. It is always easier to endure something, knowing that you are not alone, that someone understands you and your condition. The most important aspect of compassion is the ability to feel the experiences of another person, accept them and show it. Naturally, in order to be able to do this, you need to be an empath to some extent. It is unlikely that a cold and callous person can feel compassion - he is too closed for this. In my understanding, a person experiencing compassion must have rich life experience, remember his emotional state when he felt bad, bitter, hurt, in order to resurrect him at the right time.

Sympathy, that is, the manifestation of pity for someone, also requires a certain emotional state. Some people think empathy is degrading. I tried to consider this thesis from a psychological point of view and got interesting conclusions. On the one hand, any person wants to be considered strong. Pity for him shows that he has a weak spot. In my life, there were cases when sincere sympathy was perceived negatively by a close friend, as humiliation. Because of my desire to help, to support, we quarreled, and as a result, my friend suffered even more and longer.Analyzing now our behavior and words, I come to the conclusion that it was better to leave her alone. So, my fault in the quarrel is also there. I didn't feel my friend's mood. However, her unwillingness to realize her own mistakes and accept someone else's support because of my admission of guilt does not cease to be the cause of our quarrel.

Thus, sympathy, mistaken for banal pity, can really become humiliation if a person is able to cope with his troubles on his own. As far as I understand, the perception of compassion, empathy and support depends on the character and willpower of the person. On the other hand, if people do not sympathize with each other, they will become cruel. Then it will be possible to forget about mutual assistance, empathy and humanity. It is quite logical that such a path would be the death of mankind. I believe that people who are sympathetic, compassionate, supportive of others will never be left alone, without friends, without those who can lend a shoulder in difficult times. And it's wonderful.

Answer left Guest

I used the explanatory dictionary to find out the meaning of the terms of interest to me. According to Ozhegov and Shvedova, compassion is “pity, sympathy caused by someone’s misfortune, grief”, and sympathy is “a responsive, sympathetic attitude to the experiences, misfortune of others”. Thus, we can conclude that compassion is one of the sides of sympathy.

There are many examples of sympathy, compassion, support from literary works. But, unfortunately, no less examples can be picked up from real life.

Usually close people sympathize with a person. Friends and relatives know you better than others, they understand how to support you, not to let you make a mistake. I'm not an exception. When my good friend got into family troubles, I didn't talk about the fault of the relatives, or about her own intemperance and stupidity. I just found those words that cheered up my friend, made her feel that she was not alone, that not everything was lost. Based on my own experience, I will assume that the compassion that can be accepted by a strong person should be sincere, cordial. If you understand that the situation does not evoke a response in your soul, try to find advice that has been tested in practice so as not to offend a relative, friend or acquaintance with indifference.

When misfortune befalls a person, he needs support and compassion. It is always easier to endure something, knowing that you are not alone, that someone understands you and your condition. The most important aspect of compassion is the ability to feel the experiences of another person, accept them and show it. Naturally, in order to be able to do this, you need to be an empath to some extent. It is unlikely that a cold and callous person can feel compassion - he is too closed for this.

In my understanding, a person experiencing compassion must have rich life experience, remember his emotional state when he felt bad, bitter, hurt, in order to resurrect him at the right time.

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