Compassion examples from life. Examples of compassion from life experiences Examples of compassion from life

It is generally accepted that man is a social being, capable of empathy with his neighbor. The very concept of compassion involves experiencing his pain with someone - suffering together. About how appropriate and whether it is necessary in human society, opinions, oddly enough, differ.

Compassion as a hindrance

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

This is followed by Nietzschean thoughts that the weak must perish, and the strong, accordingly, must survive. If we think in this way, the question of whether empathy and compassion are needed in life is excluded in principle. To be fair, it should be noted that all these arguments are typical 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.

Quality of a developed person

The ability to develop compassion in the process is necessary: ​​we often sympathize with people whose shoes we have never been (and thank God). Physical or mental injuries and losses 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, the son of difficult mistakes

This brings us to the popular belief that in order to feel someone else's pain, you need to 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 clearer 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 a recipe for success: every example of compassion in life is balanced by its opposite. The army hazing is indicative in this regard: yesterday they humiliated me, today I am humiliating. Such revenge, aimed at the whole world around, is the flip side of sympathy. The way in which each of us uses our life experience depends on the person’s personality, his upbringing, the environment in which he lives, and many other factors.

Feeling and deed

If we stick strictly to the factual side, compassion is just a feeling. In itself, it is fruitless and is intended only to motivate action - to come to the rescue. Conversely, in order to receive help, compassion must first be aroused. basically focused on this. Here is a man who came from another city, received a salary and agreed to have a drink in the warm company of unfamiliar people (the act itself is far from optimal, but, as a rule, stupidity precedes any trouble). His newfound comrades drugged him with God knows what, took his money and threw the poor fellow out on the side of the road.

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

Long-standing problem

In the course of thinking about the nature of empathy, it is customary to delve into the nuances of concepts and say that compassion elevates, pity humiliates, various interpretations and subtle nuances are given. The famous Austrian writer S. Zweig introduced another concept related to the subject - “impatience of the heart.” He wrote story of the same name, the central theme of which was compassion. The essay, which contains vivid, interesting and very illustrative examples from life, has the right to be considered a deep and very controversial 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. Next, his internal torment is described in detail, resulting in tragedy: the abandoned heroine commits suicide.

This situation is literary, but similar example compassion from life, even if not so dramatic, is not as difficult to find as it seems: in the next entrance lives a child no one wants, almost a street 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 bother with someone else’s child, and as a result, he again finds himself in the circle of his so-called family.

For some time, 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 own problems, they have no time for him. He becomes embittered and goes wandering.

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 begin at all.

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

The author puts the following thought into the mouth of this character: there is, they say, true compassion, and there is simply 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 those around them, a desire to fix it as quickly as possible - not in order to help the sufferer, but in order to regain one’s 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 to a dirty woman with a sleeping child in her arms. Thousands of words have already been said and printed about drug-addled unfortunate children, thanks to whom unscrupulous people are enriching themselves - their place is in hard labor, with a cast-iron cannonball on their feet. But no: citizens with enviable persistence continue to throw change at cardboard box beggars, thus investing in infanticide. Isn't this a mockery of such categories as empathy, compassion, support?

First - think

Apparently, everything must be approached by 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 are giving” (Teaching chapter 1, v. 6). This advice is interpreted in different ways, but also in the sense that there is no need to support the “covetous person.” It is unlikely that money given to an alcoholic for vodka or a drug addict for his hellish potion is a manifestation of compassion - rather, it is a desire to get rid of it as quickly as possible.

Another very important question is: “Do we need empathy and compassion in life, which require sacrifice from a person and thereby give rise to a kind of chain reaction?” The same doctor from the already mentioned book, married to an unloved woman, inevitably evokes sympathy, just like herself. Does a person have the right to sacrifice himself for the sake of empathy, or do such actions destroy both the receiver and the giver?

And anyone who has at least a drop of gratitude can bring compassion from their life. There is hardly a person in the world who has never been helped by anyone in his life. Just like a villain who has not performed 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.

IN modern world Few people think about what empathy is. The rhythm of life, stress, unstable economic situation and other troubles in life force a person to think about himself and his well-being. Such a situation can lead to the disintegration of society and the destruction of traditional foundations, so we must not forget about such human qualities.

Compassion - what is it?

Sympathy is one of the most important, expressing feelings about a situation or situation. Why is sympathy needed? It allows an individual to understand other people’s emotions and remain human. This condition can be based on the following principles:

• attachments;
• understanding;
• respect.

Often such emotions express empathy for another person. They can be expressed in different ways:

• necessary or gentle words;
• encouraging actions;
• physical or material assistance.

The ability to sympathize is good, it is important to do it on time and not to be intrusive, since sometimes heated situations arise in which this “gesture” will be unnecessary and there is a high probability that sympathy will cause psychological damage to the individual. Therefore, it is so important to express the emotional state in question sincerely and at the appropriate moment.

How is empathy different from compassion?

Understanding what empathy and compassion are will be beneficial for character and personality development. These are similar concepts that express a feeling of empathy for another person. Their difference lies in the fact that empathy allows you not only to understand the situation, but also to feel the emotions of the other. Sympathy and compassion must be equally present in the life of society, otherwise it will become callous and indifferent to the world around us.

Pity and sympathy - what's the difference?

Another similar concept is pity. It manifests itself in the form of the same empathy, but without emotional coloring, without experiencing the same emotions and feelings. Sometimes the feeling of pity is not accompanied by a desire to participate in a person’s problem, but is expressed only with kind, encouraging words. In most cases, when expressing pity, a person conveys his feelings towards another, rather than experiencing the feelings of others. Sympathy and pity are generally similar in meaning, but have different connotations.

Is empathy good or bad?

Many people ask the question: Do people need empathy? There can be two answers to this question, and each of them has its own explanation:

1. Empathy is necessary because it strengthens social bonds in society, allows people to be human and express their emotions. By sympathizing, we show that we care about the person.
2. If a person is upset, then sympathy can further undermine his state of mind, increase the manifestation of negative emotions and aggravate the situation. In this case, sympathy will be unnecessary.

From the responses discussed, we can conclude that empathy is necessary at certain moments depending on the situation and emotional state the person to whom it is directed. It is important not to overdo it and to know when the manifestation of such an emotional state will be appropriate in order to truly help the person, and not, on the contrary, aggravate the situation.

Do we need empathy and compassion in life?

A very complex, slightly philosophical question - do people need empathy and compassion? Most people would likely say that it is necessary. Such qualities are a manifestation of caring, caring attitude. It is important to convey to children about them during their upbringing and personality formation. Constantly receiving a portion of the emotions of compassion and empathy, a person can demand them more and more often - he will get used to it or will wait for a permanent solution to his problems. He can manipulate his condition to achieve goals. Therefore, it is not for nothing that the expression “everything is good in moderation” exists.

How to learn to sympathize?

The answer to the question of how to express sympathy will depend on the specific situation. It is important to be able to sympathize correctly and in a timely manner. A person needs to show that they understood him, shared his experiences, but at the same time gave him strength to get out of the current situation. Often required:

For a more complete and profound understanding of the meaning of this term, you can refer to some books, both for adults and for children. For example:

1. Author's book Ruth Minshull How to Choose Your People talks about what you can pay attention to when meeting people and how to choose those whom you can later call “yours.” The book has a separate chapter dedicated to the concept of empathy.
2. Alex Cabrera "Fairies Speak of Compassion"- an excellent book that makes it possible to convey meaning to a child this concept and teach him to show empathy at the right moments.

Books about empathy and compassion allow people to become more open and kind, and teach children to be caring in certain situations. By periodically reminding yourself of what empathy is, and that sometimes you cannot do without it, you can make the world a better place. The manifestation of such a feeling, along with compassion and mutual assistance, leads to the unity of society, the establishment of social relations within it, the maintenance of traditions and the connection of generations. This is important for the development of a full-fledged, mature, stable society.

Probably almost every person has at one time or another experienced compassion or empathy for another person or being. So how can we describe compassion? When a person is able to feel all the pain of another person, this is called compassion. However, many believe that compassion is not only about feelings, but is primarily about action. It is not enough just to sympathize with another, you also need to provide some kind of help in getting rid of trouble, grief, or at least try to reduce it.

It seems to me that every person who feels love for a living being is capable of sincere compassion.

Of course, not all people have the ability to sympathize. But this feeling one way or another breaks into the life of any person. Usually compassion is a response to a situation that seems very sad and pitiful to us. We immediately have a desire to do something, to at least somehow help a person or animal who is in trouble or an extremely unpleasant situation. These situations are completely different. They can not only affect any area, but can also vary in significance.

There are many examples of compassion in life. For example, my mother found out that there was a lonely person living in our house. old man. Grandfather’s wife died a long time ago, and his children live in another city and don’t help him at all. He lives only on his pension; of course, he doesn’t have enough money. And he simply has no one to talk to either. When my mother found out about the life of this grandfather, she immediately wanted to help him. She felt very sorry for him, she told our family about him, and we decided to help him somehow. We met him and said that we would come to visit him soon. We baked a delicious pie, made a salad, bought fruits, vegetables, tea, and cookies. With all these gifts we came to him to drink tea together. We sat with him for more than 4 hours. Time flew by, grandfather talked so captivatingly about his life. It was immediately clear that he had not spoken to anyone for more than a few minutes in many years. He was so happy, and we were glad that we at least somehow brightened up his ordinary days. Mom agreed with grandfather that we would come to him for tea every week. It's his birthday soon. This means that we will definitely come to him and organize a holiday for him.

Another example of compassion is another situation. My sister was walking home from school and saw a little tiny kitten. It was winter, a blizzard, the baby was shaking all over from the cold. He was almost covered with snow, he sat on the step leading to the entrance, and meowed pitifully. My sister couldn't just pass by. She took him to our home. There she washed him, dried him, made him a bed and put it next to the radiator. The parents didn’t argue at all, but allowed us to keep the kitten.

I think these situations perfectly describe how people can have compassion and empathy.

Several interesting essays

• Essay based on the painting The Conquest of Siberia by Ermak Surikov

  The theme of the conquest of Siberia is close and understandable to the artist. After all, he comes from Krasnoyarsk. He painted the picture long and carefully. It took four years. Ermak is a fighting Cossack chieftain.

Be a good person - this is a proud title for everyone of us. Ale is not a man worthy of this high title. People are social in nature, so they cannot sleep without marriage. And it’s important to get rid of people in any kind of situation and in any kind of isolation

• The main idea of ​​Sadko's work

  The creator of Sadko's epic is the people who retell this tale from generation to generation. The main character of this epic is a young man Sadko

Summer is a wonderful time. I always look forward to this time of year, because in the summer it’s warm, you can walk longer, because it gets dark later. I love summer because at this time of year I have fun: I play with friends, go with my family to swim at the sea and relax

• The image of nature in Yesenin's lyrics essay

  The work of Sergei Yesenin belongs to the new peasant poetry, therefore the main theme of the author’s poems is nature.

Many people are already tired of the selfishness and anger that reign in the world. Every day the news reports new atrocities, and they cause serious doubts about the ability of a person to show kindness and care for anyone other than himself. However, there are stories of people who, through their actions, set an example of kindness and compassion.

History of the Belogortsevs

Married couple Olga and Sergei Belogortsev do not have alarm clocks at home. Every morning they wake up to the barking of their pets. Olga hurries to prepare breakfast for them. Meanwhile, Sergei is cleaning up the yard. Four years ago, they could not even imagine that they would lead such a lifestyle.

And it all started with an accident. Sergei’s friend owed him money and decided to pay him off in a different way - he brought him a mastiff puppy named Gretta. At first, Sergei didn’t even think about leaving the dog at home. He advertised for sale and has already found buyers. The evening before the deal, Sergei went out for a walk with Gretta. Suspecting nothing, he buried himself in the phone, when suddenly a noise was heard from behind. Turning around, Sergei saw Gretta knock a man to the ground. He, mad with fear, ran away. Sergei saw a hammer on the ground: apparently, it was a robber whose dog prevented him from committing a crime and thereby saved his life. After this, of course, Sergei did not sell the dog, because it saved his life. Unfortunately, some time later Gretta died of a heart attack.

Why is the family of Sergei and Olga also an example of mercy from life? The fact is that in memory of the dog, they decided to open a shelter for four-legged animals at home with their own money. They built several enclosures in the yard. Over the course of four years, they produced about a hundred dogs, almost all of which later managed to find new owners. They treat the most exhausted animals right at home.

However, Sergei and Olga do not give away all the animals - there are also those that they decided to keep. For example, the dog Rada, whose tendons were cut. Her character is not very friendly, so the couple, not knowing how she would behave in her new home, decided to keep Rada with them. Olga is a veterinarian by profession, and Sergey is an entrepreneur. It costs about 20 thousand rubles a month to maintain a horde of pets. Now the Belogortsev family has 20 dogs. Having cured and distributed some, they recruit new ones. They dream of building larger enclosures for their pets. The first step has already been taken - the family has purchased a plot of land.

The act of the crane operator

In 2016, Tamara Pastukhova, a crane operator from St. Petersburg, provided another example from life on the topic of mercy. She heroically saved the lives of three construction workers. Risking her life, she helped them get out of the fire. The fire broke out in the evening on a section of the highway under construction. The insulation and sheathing of reinforced concrete bridge piers caught fire. The total area of ​​the fire was about one hundred meters. When the fire started, the woman heard the screams of the workers - they became hostages of the fire that broke out right on the scaffolding. A cradle was attached to the crane boom, and the workers were lowered to the ground. Tamara herself also had to be rescued from the fire.

How to become merciful?

It is not enough just to know examples of mercy from life. This quality can be learned. To become merciful, you need to do good deeds. The easiest way to find mercy is to be around those who need help. For example, someone may feel compassion for an old man in need of help, another for an orphan. The third will want to do good deeds for people in the hospital. Mercy is shown where there is human need. An essay about mercy and real-life examples may contain the stories described. You can also do good deeds on your own.

• (54 words) Compassion in literature is manifested not only between characters, but also in the author’s attitude towards his character. Thus, the author of the novel “Eugene Onegin” - Pushkin, sympathizes with Tatyana Larina, who finds herself in a tragic situation. She is hopelessly in love with Onegin, but remains faithful to her husband. “I shed tears 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 favorite heroine, Sonya Marmeladova. Having learned that Raskolnikov was suffering from the Fall, she did not turn away from him in fear, but, on the contrary, helped him take the true path of 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 sympathize with their troubles. Natasha Rostova from Tolstoy’s War and Peace desperately helped 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 difficult 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 jewelry to buy a lilac bush and plant it in this place. 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 relationships with Kabanikha, and is not even angry with her for betraying her. He feels sorry for his wife, but he is afraid to put his mother in her place. Only Katerina’s death and compassion for her fate prompted Tikhon to express his position to Kabanikha, but, unfortunately, his unexpressed sympathy did not correct the situation.
• (54 words) Compassion is also self-sacrifice and nobility. In Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, Woland promises to fulfill the main character's desire. However, Margarita sacrifices this opportunity for herself, wanting to end the torment of Frida, whom she met at the ball. By saving Frida from the daily torture of the handkerchief with which she strangled her baby, Margarita shows mercy and compassion.
• (46 words) Turning to Sholokhov’s story “The Fate of Man,” we understand how much compassion can help anyone. 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 thereby 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 Lisa"? The girl could not stand the test of unhappy love, and, finding herself alone without her beloved Erast, she threw herself into the water. Having compassion for the heroine, many readers cried over Lisa’s fate, because in such a situation it is difficult not to show compassion and remain indifferent.
• (52 words) Compassion is one of the the most important qualities in a person, helping to look at many things differently, and, perhaps, to be happy... What is difficult to say about the main character of Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time” Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin. Often he put his own goals above the feelings of other people, and did not show compassion and empathy. Therefore, Pechorin remained a lonely and unhappy hero.
• (60 words) The ability to compassion 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, no matter what, are ready to lend a helping hand. Matryona from Solzhenitsyn’s story “Matryona’s Dvor” buried six children, remained poor in her old age, without receiving a pension. However, the heroine still showed compassion for others and selflessly helped people.

Arguments from personal life

1. (53 words) Often, showing compassion is caring. When my friend and I were walking in the park, I saw a chick 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. Having taken the chick, we climbed the tree and put it back in the nest.
2. (43 words) My friend is studying to become a psychologist, 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 has compassion for me, I begin to look at my problems differently.
3. (51 words) Recently our classmate was hospitalized. We were all worried and called him and his parents to find out about his well-being. As graduation approached, we thought the best way to express our compassion would be to make him happy. Therefore, on our common holiday, we decided to visit him, taking with us fruits and wishes for a speedy recovery.
4. (43 words) One of my friends 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 your life path, he realized that he could turn his compassion into real help to a person.
5. (58 words) My mother and I love watching dance shows, so we vote for our favorite artist. If he does not have enough votes and his continued participation in the project is in question, we continue to support him by leaving comments under videos of his performance. We understand that this is not an easy path, therefore, empathizing with the dancer, we are ready to help as best we can. Support is also one of the ways to express compassion.
6. (45 words) Last year, my deskmate was very worried about test work, although I thoroughly prepared for it at home. Realizing that she was worrying in vain, I calmed her down and supported her. She got an A and said that my compassion helped her stop stressing and focus on her assignments.
7. (59 words) One day, my friend showed compassion, fully supporting me and not leaving me to be sad alone. She and I were invited to a holiday 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 also brought me medicine instead, sympathizing with my cold that appeared at such an inopportune time.
8. (49 words) My classmate often organizes trips to a shelter for homeless animals. She is always very worried about the fate of the animals that find themselves on the cold street, so she often saves money to buy them food. Her compassion not only helps people be kinder, but also saves animals from starvation. Any charity is a worthy manifestation of compassion.
9. (55 words) One day I noticed a friend’s aquarium with a small turtle. She said that she came across an advertisement about giving the animal to 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 up the turtle, and my friend could not indifferently give up the animal. So compassion gave her a new friend.
10. (58 words) My friend always shows compassion for others when helping older people. Every time grandma has a hard time going up the stairs, he either takes her 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 everyone can feel sorry for others, but showing compassion and helping is a completely different matter.
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