Compassion

Compassion is held universally to be one of the more important virtues. It in the Western world is derived from the concept of "suffering with", and in this respect is linked to empathy. But it is not a passive form. It directs our conduct. To have compassion we must not just feel or suffer with others, but act to alleviate that suffering - this being the true end of compassion. Now it is very easy of us in the wake of a disaster like the earthquake in Haiti to take pity upon the people and act charitably by sending money or relief. This would seem to satisfy the definition of compassion. Seeing sufffering remotely, then responding through charitable gifts. That is good. Yet, the nature of compassion goes further. It is not enough to see all those victims in Haiti and to isolate in our minds those more in need of our charity. The charitable act is conducted through a click of a mouse button which buys relief, just as one buys the latest DVD from Amazon. Charity with its roots in caritas is linked to mercy. Oh that we can be merciful and charitable to the victims. But compassion? Do we truly have compassion for the people of Haiti or elsewhere? Here we find it problematic since we cannot really be said to "suffer with" as we are in our homes seeing the suffering through media at a great distance, several dimensions removed. Then what of our compassion? Does it have limits. Is there a statute of limitations on it? Once the charitable deed is performed, then no infelicity occurs when one gets on with everyday life without thinking ever again for the victims. Also how can one suffer with millions? No one has that capacity. Our compassion is practical and selective. It is based on how the victims are presented. we do not have any compassion for the looters nor those involved in crime. We have more compassion for children. It is a compassion of neoteny. The cuter the victim. The more compassionate we are. Of course our charitable act shows no discrimination as the relief organizations do not discriminate. Or do they? I would argue that to be truly compassionate, we must take the resolve to allow for the looters and the dictators. We must suffer with those we could not ever love. Then perhaps we can begin to understand the meaning of compassion. So for example, in the case of Haiti, one of the poorest nations on the planet, it has been our charity and pity that has kept it so. We did not have compassion for all the people and their dreams and aspirations. How could we?