Compassion- Word of the Week

Compassion is this week’s theme here at South Orange County Detox and Treatment, and in light of recent events there is no better time than now to contemplate its presence, or lack thereof, and the effects it has on every level of society- from the individual to society at large. Compassion on the individual level is where the sparks that ignite the flame are created.

How long must we wait on the sidelines, watching people suffer, before we are called to lend an ear, a hand, or a heart? How often do we forget that suffering is only cured by acts of compassion and through meaningful dialogue?

While I know the reasons why compassion can be helpful, oftentimes I overlook the detrimental effects a lack of compassion can have. I know for myself that when compassion is missing in my life, I don’t pay attention to others or any suffering they might be experiencing. I feel disconnected and forget that I should be doing my due diligence as a human being and to connect, understand, listen, and love others. Who knows what the smallest act of compassion can accomplish. Maybe it can help prevent personal crises or turn someone’s perspective around, while at the same time helping to pull me out of selfishness and to be of service. It’s hard for me to be resentful and frustrated when I’m putting myself in someone else’s shoes and taking the time to understand their suffering and feelings. Imagine all the unnecessary conflict that could’ve been prevented if opposing sides were more concerned with love, rather than with fear, hate, and selfishness. Look what happens in a society when compassion is nonexistent: Extreme bipartisanship in which deadlock is all too common; War and genocide in the likes of Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia under Stalin, or the Great Leap Forward under the rule of Mao Zedong in China; Racism; Homophobia. Albeit extreme cases using hyperbole, this is the end result in a world of no compassion. So the next time I see someone, or a group, suffering, I’ll remember to do my part and due diligence as a human and to not take part in, or aggravate, any further suffering – because I don’t want to look back on my life when I’m older and question whether I was on the wrong side of history or not.