Quotes About Empathy

even success the most brilliant is over dead and mangled bodies, with the anguish and lamentations of distant families, appealing to me for sons, husbands, and fathers . . . as far as I know, all the fighting men of our army want peace; and it is only those who have never heard a shot, never heard the shriek and groans of the wounded and lacerated (friend or foe), that cry aloud for more blood, more vengeance, more desolation.

Despite the severest deprivation in early childhood, these people are neither living a greedy, me-first style of life, nor are they seeking gain at the expense of others. None express the idea that the world owes them a living for all they have suffered. On the contrary, most of their lives are marked by a compassion for others" (p. 233).

Kindness is not entered onto the great ledger of civilisation.

Compassion is the willingness to play in the field of dreams even though you are awake.

What happens to another, whether it be a joy or a sorrow, happens to me. — Meister Eckhart

Those who are unconcerned in the affairs of their brethren, and take no care, when they have opportunity, to prevent their hurt in their bodies, goods, or good name, especially in their souls, do, in effect, speak Cain's language. See Lev 19:17; Phi 2:4.

Be not desirous to know what people say; if they speak well of thee, it will feed thy pride, if ill, it will stir up thy passion. See that thou approve thyself to God and thine own conscience, and then heed not what men say of thee; it is easier to pass by twenty affronts than to avenge one. When any harm is done to us, examine whether we have not done as bad to others.

Having been once incarcerated and treated in ways he had not enjoyed, he had since tended to come down on the side of flies and to reject the claims of spiders.

Connecting with people in a powerful way is a skill that must be developed, nurtured, and practiced.

The most devastating form of loneliness is not to be without friends; rather, it is to be surrounded by friends and never to be truly known.

If you get the man right (or the woman, of course), you get the world right.

be kind because everyone you'll ever meet is fighting a hard battle." Wow. What a fabulous insight.

The lesson I learned was that someone can look perfectly fine, but you never know what is going on inside—and everyone has something going on inside.

ACTION STEP If you are ever bored, look for a way to get outside yourself and serve others.

When he realized Mother Teresa carries everything she owns in a small bag, he made an effort to simplify his own life. He says, "I try to remember what really counts—not money, or titles, or possessions, but the way we love others.

Four words: Be gentle with yourself. It turns out they are some of the wisest words anyone has ever shared with me.

One of the most important reasons to be gentle with ourselves is because if we cannot forgive ourselves, we will struggle to forgive others. And if we cannot forgive ourselves or others, we will resist even God's forgiveness. When we are gentle with ourselves, when we are patient with ourselves, we develop awareness, and awareness breeds compassion. And every person who ever crosses your path needs a little compassion.

Recuerda lo siguiente en todo momento: ser tú mismo nunca te conducirá a destruirte de ninguna forma o en ningún grado. Ser verdaderamente tú nunca te llevará a una versión minimizada de ti. Y ser tú implica que todo lo que hagas y digas ayudará a otros a convertirse en una versión mejorada de sí mismos.

I'm not hurting anyone' is another attempt to avoid personal responsibility in a world where everything we think, do, and say affects someone, something, sooner or later. Your actions profoundly affect your inner reality, and sooner or later your inner reality will seek an outer expression through your words and actions or your silence and inaction.

If you have ever been on the receiving end of carlessness, you know it changes you.

We become more cautious with people, we are gentler with others, and we give them the benefit of the doubt, because we don't want to be on the giving end of carelessness.

we became the books we read.

Be gentle with the people who cross your path. If someone is grumpy or rude, if someone makes a mistake or does something wrong, give her the benefit of the doubt. You never know what she is carrying around inside.

There is a way to acknowledge the great suffering of others without diminishing our own suffering.