RE: A WORD on Compassion, Love, Sympathy, and Empathy.
Such a beautiful post. I feel sometimes many people think they are showing compassion but it's really their our own ego they are boosting. So many times I see someone showing a good deed only to have it followed up by selfish behaviour. I have an Aunt that would use money to help my grandmother, but would then boast about it to family and friends. She would then treat my grandmother poorly by trying to control her and by being disrespectful (always screaming at her.) I wonder how many people think they are showing compassion, when they donate a tiny amount of their huge fortune to charity. Makes you wonder what their real reason is for donating. People today are so busy living their fast paced lives, not even noticing when someone needs help, even those closest to them. We need to slow down, take time every now and than, to see what is really going on around us. If everyone could help just one unfortunate person, just once a month and that doesn't have to be through donations. Than maybe we can start to make this a better society to live in.
Thank you for sharing, I see people commit what may be great, helpful deeds but show a lack of humbleness and I am definitely not excluded from that list. Sometimes people follow what they know is a righteous or goodly path but for ego-based reasons. I started exercising out of defiance of a girl rejecting me. lol. Over time I let go of that negativity and spite, but continued the activity that is beneficial for myself. It is hard to realize that even good deeds can be ego-based. I agree with your sentiment with helping one unfortunate person at least once a month, even talking to someone that seems lonely at a restaurant can spark kindness and compassion. It is a beautiful way to change the world.