Offering Compassion
instead of
Compassion
What's wrong with empathy?
Rather than create a universal desire for peace, empathy strengthens our desire for unity
This means that when faced with conflict,
we feel a rush of empathy for members
of our in-group, at the expense of the out-group
This can exacerbate the othering process, leading to more division
Empathy
The Value of Compassion
According to Williams-Hindle (2020), compassion takes empathy a step further by activating the part of the brain responsible for doing
Whereas empathy says "I understand you," compassion says "I understand you, and I want to help you."
Making Room for Anger
Compassion and anger together are the rush we may feel upon witnessing an injustice, and it is what can push us to help someone we may consider to be a member of an out-group, even at the expense of an in-group member.
Therefore, according to Williams-Hindle (2020), the solution to generating more social cohesion and acceptance is the compassion-driven granting of space for hearing anger.