The Three Elements of Compassion

Compassion is often defined as: “sensitivity to another’s suffering coupled with a desire to alleviate that suffering”, which makes it reactive.

If we define considerateness as the desire to support well-being (or prevent suffering), it can be thought of as proactive compassion.

But what I really want to share, what I discover from introspection, is a hope: I hope that no one suffers. This hope is neither proactive nor reactive.

So the three elements of compassion are:

• Hope that no one suffers
• Consideration of the potential for suffering coupled with the desire to prevent it
• Sensitivity to suffering coupled with a desire to alleviate it

Hope

I have received concerns about my hope that no one suffers on the grounds that “suffering is inescapable” and “a world without suffering is impossible”. Perhaps they want to protect me from wasting my effort or being disappointed. But a hope is not an expectation or goal. It doesn’t need to be realistic. I also hope that everyone enjoys their life more often than not.