What is empathy, and what is compassion?
Perhaps compassion is empathy in action, a genuine desire to help another person.
But not all actions are the same.
We often believe that true action means doing something, solving a problem. If we fix someone else’s problem, we assume we are helping them. And we do it for them. But are we really doing it for them—or for ourselves?
If we are eager to help someone who may not have even asked for help, are we truly acting out of compassion? If we help others in a way we believe is right, are we really helping? Or are we prioritizing our own desires while losing sight of what the other person actually wants?
By assuming that we know what’s best for someone else, aren’t we taking away their power to make their own choices? Aren’t we depriving them of the opportunity to stand up for themselves, to learn, to grow?
Seen this way, solving someone else’s problem may not be compassion at all, because we are putting ourselves and our own wishes first.
What if Compassionate Action Was Simply the Act of Being?
What if we didn’t do anything—just were?
Sometimes, not doing anything is the hardest action. Just being present—fully there for the other person, as a safe space, as a support. Connected, heart to heart.
Many of us see ourselves as empathetic. But beyond understanding how and why someone feels a certain way, do we truly know how to be compassionate?
Do we know how to connect heart to heart?
And if we were to look at ourselves from the outside, what would we see?
Would we see empathy in action—or just someone who believes they know best?