This is a beautiful piece, which I can relate to on many levels. However, it really isn’t about compassion, which literally means to “suffer with”. It is about empathy, which is understanding how another person is experiencing a situation. This can be accomplished using curiosity and active listening, as this article describes, or it can come from a place of intuitive emotional connection.

With compassion, we are trying to fix what is causing suffering for someone else. We jump into their sinking ship, sometimes even handing them the sole life preserver. With empathy, we are helping the other person feel understood and validated, which is a necessary step for them to address their situation according to what’s best for them. Thus, empathy is far more empowering and transformational than compassion.