Compassion is an understanding of the emotional state of another or oneself. Not to be confused with
empathy, compassion is often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce the
suffering of another or to show special kindness to those who suffer. However, compassion may lead an individual to
feel empathy with another person.
Compassion is often characterized through actions, wherein a person acting with compassion will seek to aid those they feel compassionate for. Acts of compassion are generally considered those which take into account the pain of others and attempt to alleviate that pain. In this sense, the various forms of the
Golden Rule are in part based on the concept of compassion, if also on the concept of
empathy.
Compassion differs from other forms of helpful or humane behavior in that its focus is primarily on the alleviation of pain and
suffering