What does compassion have to do with zero waste, sustainability, health and wellness, plant-based eating, and cruelty-free living? The answer is EVERYTHING.
I want to talk about this word compassion.
If ever a human condition was misunderstood and dangerously mischaracterized, it’s compassion.
We talk about it, praise it, and expect it from others, yet we routinely withhold it, distort it, and redefine it to fit our own biases. Instead of embracing it as a force for transformation, we turn it into something conditional—a reward for those who think like us, live like us, or behave in ways we approve of. For example…
Compassion is often characterized as weakness.
Compassion is often mistaken for passivity.
Compassion is often withheld to signal opposition to bad behavior.
Compassion is often rationed, given only to those deemed "worthy."
Compassion is often weaponized, used as a tool for exclusion.
Compassion is often dismissed in favor of group loyalty and identity politics.
Compassion is often seen as a betrayal of one’s tribe.
Compassion is often extended only to those who share our views.
Compassion is often denied to those who have made mistakes (or committed atrocities), lest it appear that we are condoning the wrongdoing.
Compassion is often expected from others but less demanded of ourselves.
Compassion is often rejected when it challenges our sense of righteousness.
In subsequent articles, I’ll continue to unpack why compassion is often overlooked and rejected as a response to the evils of this world (and how we can harness and hone it as a force for meaningful change)…
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