WEBVTT 00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:10.339 Good evening, everybody. Welcome back to Thoughts 00:00:10.339 --> 00:00:12.859 If It Were You, Food for Thought by Neogentrics. 00:00:13.359 --> 00:00:15.099 We're going to continue on with the next moral. 00:00:16.780 --> 00:00:18.679 We've already covered a good sum of them. There's 00:00:18.679 --> 00:00:21.280 only a few left. I do believe about three or 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:24.379 four, including this one. We're going to go ahead 00:00:24.379 --> 00:00:28.699 and finish up with compassion. It's one of those 00:00:28.699 --> 00:00:33.700 things that is said to be understood, but in 00:00:33.700 --> 00:00:40.640 the long run is sadly overlooked as kindness, 00:00:40.740 --> 00:00:45.259 friendliness, such is the nature of mankind. 00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:51.000 But the sad truth is that has nothing to do with 00:00:51.000 --> 00:01:00.149 it whatsoever. Compassion by definition. is sympathetic 00:01:00.149 --> 00:01:04.409 pity and concern for the suffering or misfortunes 00:01:04.409 --> 00:01:07.569 of others. This is the true definition of compassion. 00:01:13.150 --> 00:01:15.290 Compassion means, quite literally, to suffer 00:01:15.290 --> 00:01:18.969 with others. It is therefore a sense of feeling, 00:01:19.150 --> 00:01:22.969 a fellow feeling, with other people's pain and 00:01:22.969 --> 00:01:26.329 suffering. It's often linked with empathy, which 00:01:26.329 --> 00:01:28.920 we covered earlier. and also with sympathy in 00:01:28.920 --> 00:01:34.900 many people's minds this however an element of 00:01:34.900 --> 00:01:38.359 action uh there is however an element of action 00:01:38.359 --> 00:01:41.099 and compassion that is missing from sympathy 00:01:41.099 --> 00:01:44.000 and empathy altogether which are totally focused 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:46.959 on feeling okay compassion leads you to take 00:01:46.959 --> 00:01:50.480 actions to help the other person not just feel 00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:55.519 for them okay Aristotle suggested that there 00:01:55.519 --> 00:01:57.719 was a distinction between compassion and other 00:01:57.719 --> 00:02:01.519 virtues, in that compassion could also be an 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:05.120 emotion. In other virtues, he suggested there 00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:07.980 is a separate emotion, anger, and is often felt 00:02:07.980 --> 00:02:11.199 as injustice, for example. The virtue of compassion, 00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:13.300 therefore, is a tendency to feel the emotion 00:02:13.300 --> 00:02:16.639 of compassion at the right times, in the right 00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:23.439 ways, and to the right extent. as Aristotle put 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:29.319 it originally, compassion is a pain at an impression 00:02:29.319 --> 00:02:32.860 of destruction or painful evil as befalling one 00:02:32.860 --> 00:02:36.520 who doesn't deserve it, and which one might expect 00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:40.280 oneself or someone close to oneself to suffer 00:02:40.280 --> 00:02:48.580 when it seems nearby. Loosely translated, it's 00:02:48.580 --> 00:02:51.319 usually pain inflicted on someone that you know, 00:02:51.819 --> 00:02:55.879 or don't know that's close to you, whether it 00:02:55.879 --> 00:03:01.599 be yourself or someone else. A more modern slant 00:03:01.599 --> 00:03:05.520 on compassion would be, compassion then is the 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:07.539 result of seeing someone suffering, deciding 00:03:07.539 --> 00:03:10.139 that they do not deserve it, and feeling that 00:03:10.139 --> 00:03:12.560 something similar could easily happen to you 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:16.289 or to someone that you care about. The nearness 00:03:16.289 --> 00:03:18.710 of the problem may be crucial to the desire to 00:03:18.710 --> 00:03:21.330 take action. There is an implication that without 00:03:21.330 --> 00:03:24.169 this closeness, you would simply feel sympathy 00:03:24.169 --> 00:03:27.849 and not the need to take action, which is part 00:03:27.849 --> 00:03:30.689 of compassion. While this sounds plausible, for 00:03:30.689 --> 00:03:35.669 example, let's use this. desire to do something 00:03:35.669 --> 00:03:37.689 to alleviate the suffering of those caught up 00:03:37.689 --> 00:03:41.210 in the Ethiopian famine in the 1980s. He was 00:03:41.210 --> 00:03:45.310 driven by television pictures, not by first -hand 00:03:45.310 --> 00:03:49.330 experience or by reading about it. Comic Relief 00:03:49.330 --> 00:03:52.050 and similar organizations have spent considerable 00:03:52.050 --> 00:03:57.030 effort taking celebrities to witness both suffering 00:03:57.030 --> 00:04:00.960 and the programs that alleviate it firsthand 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:03.780 in order to bring the situation closer to home 00:04:03.780 --> 00:04:07.259 and create more impact and desire to do something 00:04:07.259 --> 00:04:19.939 to help. Let's take this second here while we're 00:04:19.939 --> 00:04:22.100 talking about compassion and let's talk about 00:04:22.100 --> 00:04:25.250 religion related to it, okay? It's valued in 00:04:25.250 --> 00:04:27.629 many world religions, including Hinduism, Judaism, 00:04:27.930 --> 00:04:30.949 and even Christianity. God is seen as being compassionate 00:04:30.949 --> 00:04:33.689 and merciful, and there are many teachings about 00:04:33.689 --> 00:04:35.629 the importance of compassion towards others as 00:04:35.629 --> 00:04:38.569 well. For example, Jesus told a parable about 00:04:38.569 --> 00:04:41.610 a man who fell among thieves and was rescued 00:04:41.610 --> 00:04:44.889 by a good Samaritan who had compassion for him, 00:04:44.889 --> 00:04:47.129 even though the man was a different race and 00:04:47.129 --> 00:04:54.149 creed. The Dalai Lama said compassion is a necessity, 00:04:54.329 --> 00:04:58.509 not a luxury. Whereas in Matthew 7, 12 in the 00:04:58.509 --> 00:05:03.490 Bible, using the, well, it doesn't really matter 00:05:03.490 --> 00:05:06.389 the version, that's fine. So whatever you wish 00:05:06.389 --> 00:05:09.750 that others would do to you, do also to them. 00:05:10.069 --> 00:05:13.310 Another verse that talks about this is Colossians 00:05:13.310 --> 00:05:17.329 3, 12. Put on them as God's chosen ones, holy 00:05:17.329 --> 00:05:21.389 and beloved, compassionate hearts. I couldn't 00:05:21.389 --> 00:05:23.750 have worded that any better. However, there is 00:05:23.750 --> 00:05:25.649 another issue about compassion in the Christian 00:05:25.649 --> 00:05:29.069 tradition. It lacks any sense that the suffering 00:05:29.069 --> 00:05:34.910 should not be deserved. Okay. Christians believe 00:05:34.910 --> 00:05:37.550 that God welcomes sinners and forgives them because 00:05:37.550 --> 00:05:39.670 he is compassionate. It does not matter whether 00:05:39.670 --> 00:05:41.889 they have sinned deliberately or brought their 00:05:41.889 --> 00:05:45.470 troubles on themselves. This is an important 00:05:45.470 --> 00:05:49.670 trait to have nonetheless. Let's take compassion 00:05:49.670 --> 00:05:52.750 to the workplace. Compassion is perhaps the virtue 00:05:52.750 --> 00:05:58.709 that is most important for doctors, but it's 00:05:58.709 --> 00:06:01.970 also important for others, too. Anyone who manages 00:06:01.970 --> 00:06:04.750 others must be able to feel compassion for those 00:06:04.750 --> 00:06:07.610 that they manage when it is appropriate. This 00:06:07.610 --> 00:06:10.910 will motivate them to do something in their role 00:06:10.910 --> 00:06:13.750 as line managers to help that person. It is also 00:06:13.750 --> 00:06:16.410 possible to argue that we should all be aware 00:06:16.410 --> 00:06:22.439 of the need of compassion towards others. Workplaces 00:06:22.439 --> 00:06:25.240 are often cited as harsh and hard places. It's 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:28.420 a dog -eat -dog world, as you all know. And a 00:06:28.420 --> 00:06:30.779 little compassion exercise appropriately could 00:06:30.779 --> 00:06:33.759 go a long way towards making them feel more human. 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:35.920 Research shows that the workers who feel that 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:38.220 they are treated with compassion are more committed 00:06:38.220 --> 00:06:40.480 to their jobs, which is good news for their employers. 00:06:44.040 --> 00:06:46.779 The importance of compassion. Research shows 00:06:46.779 --> 00:06:50.519 that compassion has a neurological basis in that 00:06:50.519 --> 00:06:52.639 feeling of compassion affects particular parts 00:06:52.639 --> 00:06:56.060 of our brains. It also shows that being compassionate 00:06:56.060 --> 00:06:59.259 makes us feel good. It activates pleasure sensors 00:06:59.259 --> 00:07:04.180 in the brain, a bit like eating chocolate, which 00:07:04.180 --> 00:07:07.790 has a positive effect on self -esteem. Being 00:07:07.790 --> 00:07:09.490 compassionate could actually be good for your 00:07:09.490 --> 00:07:11.670 health because it seems to slow your heart rate 00:07:11.670 --> 00:07:14.370 down, which could reduce the risk of heart disease 00:07:14.370 --> 00:07:18.970 and stress. One compassion training program was 00:07:18.970 --> 00:07:21.709 found to help reduce stress in those who attended 00:07:21.709 --> 00:07:25.589 the program. Compassion tends to make us better 00:07:25.589 --> 00:07:29.750 at communicating and relating to others. Partners, 00:07:29.889 --> 00:07:32.790 children, parents, or friends. Improving social 00:07:32.790 --> 00:07:36.290 relationships are generally agreed to be good 00:07:36.290 --> 00:07:39.230 for you. And societies which are on the bounce 00:07:39.230 --> 00:07:44.709 more compassion, that take steps to care for 00:07:44.709 --> 00:07:46.829 vulnerable members of society and help those 00:07:46.829 --> 00:07:50.670 in need, tend on average to be happier. Okay, 00:07:50.769 --> 00:07:52.829 if you're only concerned about someone else, 00:07:52.930 --> 00:07:54.889 wanting to do something to help them and then 00:07:54.889 --> 00:07:57.790 doing it is good for you, for those around you, 00:07:57.850 --> 00:08:07.730 and for the society as a whole. Let's find a 00:08:07.730 --> 00:08:11.470 balance. There is, however, a balance point for 00:08:11.470 --> 00:08:15.029 compassion. Feeling too much compassion can be 00:08:15.029 --> 00:08:20.699 as bad as feeling too little. for those who have 00:08:20.699 --> 00:08:23.300 to witness or hear about a lot of suffering. 00:08:23.939 --> 00:08:26.459 To protect themselves from the personal emotional 00:08:26.459 --> 00:08:29.279 impact of what they are reading, they close down 00:08:29.279 --> 00:08:31.060 their emotional response and try not to feel 00:08:31.060 --> 00:08:33.460 compassion, whether consciously or unconsciously. 00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:37.779 This can have knock -on effects on them and those 00:08:37.779 --> 00:08:42.320 around them because it affects their other emotions 00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:46.159 and cognitive responses. Compassion fatigue is 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:48.320 now a recognized medical condition. This is something 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:53.320 to make note of. This is, of course, more, how 00:08:53.320 --> 00:08:56.620 do I put this, most important for those managing 00:08:56.620 --> 00:08:59.279 clinical staff and other professionals who work, 00:08:59.419 --> 00:09:03.480 brings them into contact with the illness and 00:09:03.480 --> 00:09:10.950 suffering. So many people, let me see here. But 00:09:10.950 --> 00:09:12.950 many people have suggested that constant media 00:09:12.950 --> 00:09:16.029 images of suffering may have similar effects 00:09:16.029 --> 00:09:19.309 on the rest of us in making us more cynical about 00:09:19.309 --> 00:09:23.370 the real impact of suffering. In other words, 00:09:23.450 --> 00:09:25.870 the pictures are less able to bring suffering 00:09:25.870 --> 00:09:28.470 closer and we become more likely to insist on 00:09:28.470 --> 00:09:30.289 first -hand experience before feeling compassion. 00:09:30.669 --> 00:09:33.629 In other words, we become complacent and used 00:09:33.629 --> 00:09:36.570 to seeing it where it becomes the norm. This 00:09:36.570 --> 00:09:40.019 should never be the case. It is important to 00:09:40.019 --> 00:09:44.740 be aware of these responses and resist the urge 00:09:44.740 --> 00:09:51.559 towards cynicalism. Feeling compassion is a vital 00:09:51.559 --> 00:09:54.059 part of being human. It is also important to 00:09:54.059 --> 00:09:56.440 take appropriate action as a result of feeling 00:09:56.440 --> 00:09:59.379 compassion as the proverb goes. Give a man a 00:09:59.379 --> 00:10:02.259 fish and you will feed him for a day. But teach 00:10:02.259 --> 00:10:04.600 a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime. 00:10:05.960 --> 00:10:10.360 Compassion wrongly expressed. The provision of 00:10:10.360 --> 00:10:13.200 fish may result in immediate alleviation of suffering, 00:10:13.320 --> 00:10:15.960 but no long -term effects. Compassion expressed 00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:19.240 in the right way, teaching the skill, can and 00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:23.779 should provide long -term solutions. Remembering 00:10:23.779 --> 00:10:26.419 this could save a lot of pain later on in the 00:10:26.419 --> 00:10:28.519 future. And this is something to make note of. 00:10:30.759 --> 00:10:32.779 Compassion is one of those skills that is required 00:10:32.779 --> 00:10:36.500 in order to move forward in life. Evil villains 00:10:36.500 --> 00:10:38.960 in the world show compassion, believe it or not, 00:10:39.100 --> 00:10:43.419 whether it be to their own men or his own family, 00:10:43.500 --> 00:10:47.320 regardless of how much evil he does or ensues 00:10:47.320 --> 00:10:53.340 in the world. Well, that brings a close to this 00:10:53.340 --> 00:10:59.059 particular topic on compassion. Next, we only 00:10:59.059 --> 00:11:04.919 have two others left to cover. We have courage 00:11:04.919 --> 00:11:08.240 and equality. Like I said, I'm holding off on 00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:11.679 doing integrity for a while. That's fine. But 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:14.740 next time we should be covering patience. As 00:11:14.740 --> 00:11:17.440 it's one of the few morals out there that is 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:22.100 easily forgotten about or overlooked. And we're 00:11:22.100 --> 00:11:24.580 going to look at the importance of it too. Thank 00:11:24.580 --> 00:11:26.799 you for listening and enjoy the rest of your 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:26.980 day.