Compassion leads to action in student communities

At a time of need, compassion, sympathy and empathy are not always interchangeable, nor do they mean the same thing.

The definition of compassion, sympathy and empathy in real-life circumstances and responses differ as people and their opinions conflict. The difference is often marked by a willingness to suffer with another as opposed to just understanding what a person is going through.

Principal Amy Deffenbacher defines compassion as the care given to another in a need of time. Deffenbacher believes the more compassion is practiced, the easier it becomes.

“The more we show compassion for others, the more natural it becomes,” Deffenbacher said. “Some people are more naturally inclined to be compassionate or empathetic, but we all have the opportunity to choose kindness. Prayer does help, because loving others comes from the overflow of God’s love for us.”

Compassion is a response to suffering; it is a reaction to the inevitable adversity all human beings face in their lives. Not just saying, “I feel bad for you.” Whether in the pain embedded in the fabric of aging, sickness and death or the psychological and emotional afflictions that debilitate the mind, compassion allows people to redirect their attentions to the needs and issues of others, says Stanford Medical Center.

Mackenzie Beckworth, ‘21, believes empathy demonstrates an authentic feeling for someone else while in their situation. Over time she can see how people can improve with practice and with authenticity.

“I think some people struggle with showing compassion because they can just be so wrapped up in themselves,” Beckworth said. “It’s very natural to be selfish and not want to care about what others are going through.”

“I believe every human is capable of showing it,” Beckworth continued. “It isn’t some rare gift that only a few chosen can gain. Of course, it takes time to develop authenticity towards others & it takes humility & time to develop that, but I believe that anybody is able to do it.”

The process of “connecting” included both an emotional processes of empathy and cognitive processes of perspective taking.

Processes of “responding” included both nonverbal strategies, such as immediacy behaviors and environmental structuring and verbal strategies for balancing the informational and emotional content of messages, according to Taylor and Francis online. 

Katherine Miller, a professor and director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication at Texas A&M University, explains the emotional science behind compassion. Her research on compassion reveals that the human brain processes things differently than an animal or organism. 

“Compassion is conceptualized as one form of emotional work,” Miller said. “It’s theoretically developed through a model that highlights the sub processes of noticing, feeling, and responding.”

In the following podcast, Kyler Garza interviews Scott Falk on his definition of compassion and how his experiences have affected his view.

Bible teacher and vice principal Scott Falk experienced the compassion people can give while at his mother’s funeral. Falk suggests following biblical examples. 

“With examples we can get better over time,” Falk said. “Then also our basic faith tells us that the spirit of God is with us, then his scriptures guide us and teaches as we grow and as we mature. We become aware and understand and we practice like anything else we get good at it.”

The world’s leading authority in holistic child development through sponsorship Compassion International advocates for children, committed to Christ in everything they do.

“Jesus is the core of our ministry,” Compassion International said. “His life and teachings shape our programs, reflect the spiritual commitments of our staff, and guide how we love people, respect communities and cooperate with nations.”

In the following tweet, Compassion International spreads awareness of children in need, sharing their prayers on what they hope to achieve.

Never underestimate the one thing we can all do for those in need. ?https://t.co/RNBh4gciG7

— Compassion Intl (@compassion) July 16, 2019

Compassion means temporarily suspending judgment so that appreciation for others’ perspectives or situations can flourish, according to Roger Schwarz & Associates.

Even through his shortcomings, senior Max Muñoz received compassion from the school administration.

“The administration has shown me kindness and always welcome me back with open arms when I made mistakes in the past,” Muñoz said. “I kind of think of it as the prodigal son where the school is always welcoming back their students with open arms as long as your willing to make a change and have a positive attitude about it.”

Compassion, the acknowledgment not all pain can be ‘fixed’ or ‘solved’, makes suffering more approachable and allows students to share their opinions.

How do you share compassion and empathy with others? Comment below about your experiences with compassion.

For more articles read, Editorial: Students enter second quarter, seek study techniques, tricks or Plastic accumulates in Atlantic Ocean, trash vortex swells.

Kyler Garza can be reached via email.