Developing from empathy to compassion: an emotional journey

Suffering is a very common, global issue. My curiosity drove me to investigate the difference between empathy and compassion in order to determine the extent to which we may identify to the suffering of others without placing ourselves in a precarious situation.

It denotes distinct interpersonal and introspective ties. Compassion is a caring emotion combined with a desire to assist the person experiencing distress, whereas empathy only serves as a mirror of another person's feelings.

As a result, I created compassion training, and I saw that it improved participants' attitudes by boosting their prosociality—that is, their capacity to behave in other people's best interests. This was confirmed during an MRI.

Even when shown images of suffering people, those who received compassion training showed brain activity associated with good feelings. Conversely, excessive empathy for other people's suffering can result in symptoms akin to "burnout," or empathic exhaustion.

But in order to be at least somewhat empathic, isn't it important to be aware of other people's suffering?

Being touched requires first demonstrating empathy. However, in order to shield yourself from the unpleasant feelings that empathy causes, you also need compassion.

People can recognise the difference and be able to differentiate between an empathic state and a compassionate state by using this shift from empathy to compassion.

I looked at a number of different training options before deciding on a completely secularised, yet Buddhist-based, meditation method. The exercise invites participants to picture someone who has really benefited them. They are able to develop compassion as a result, which they can then share with others.

The goal is to examine how compassion training can affect anger and aggressiveness by going beyond it. I am currently focusing on these aspects. To make the participants more combative, I provoke them.

It has been shown that those possessing a high empathy threshold tend to be more confrontational, especially with non-threat threats. On the other hand, persons who possess compassion are less hostile, even towards those who have wronged them in the past.

I'm more interested in a format that can be used right away than I am in long-term adjustments. It is not feasible to request that negotiators go for training and return several months later in the event of a confrontation between two nations.

Conversely, we need to create tools that are simple to use, quick to implement, and extremely focused. Having said that, a few individuals who underwent the compassion training informed me that they were able to stop smoking afterward or that they had gotten in touch with a brother they hadn't seen in a long time.

Thus, changes are possible outside of the lab, too, in the real world. The fact that these compassion training sessions are minimally invasive must also be emphasised. The individuals' level of negative feelings does not decrease as they become more charitable towards others. Their emotional quotient and sensitivity remain unaffected.

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