Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” Among emotion researchers, it is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering.
Scientists have mapped the biological basis of compassion, suggesting its deep evolutionary purpose. Research has shown that when we feel compassion, our heart rate slows down, we secrete the “bonding hormone” oxytocin, and regions of the brain linked to empathy, caregiving, and feelings of pleasure light up, which often results in our wanting to approach and care for other people. Thus, compassion is not just a “touch-feely” or irrational feeling but one that is wired in human nature.
On the other hand, even if it is in our nature to be compassionate, we tend to suppress it for a variety of reasons. For instance, look at the vegetable vendors in the market in Mokokchung. They are selling the vegetables and other produce by the roadside trying to earn their livelihood. They sit their day in and day out, in the open, without even the basic facility where they can relieve themselves. With the little that they make, they make their ends meet and feed their families. The people in authority, or even some concerned citizens, should find the means to make their lives easier. To be compassionate to others who are less fortunate is human nature. How human we are is reflected by how compassionate we are.
Compassion is not pity. True compassion is not only about feeling another’s pain but also being moved to help relieve it. Without compassion, there can be no human connection. It is human compassion that binds us to one another. It is compassion that builds our community. Perhaps, we need to be reminded from time to time that we are all interconnected and related to one another and that helping each other with compassion, not out of pity or patronizingly, is what makes us humans human.