Compassion

Compassion, meaning to suffer with, motivates people to go out of their way to help the physical, mental, or emotional pains of another and themselves.

Compassion is often regarded as having sensitivity, which is an emotional aspect to suffering.

Compassion involves allowing ourselves to be moved by suffering and experiencing the motivation to help alleviate and prevent it.

An act of compassion is defined by its helpfulness.

Qualities of compassion are patience and wisdom; kindness and perseverance; warmth and resolve.

It is often, though not inevitably, the key component in what manifests in the social context as altruism.

Ranked a great virtue in numerous philosophies, compassion is considered in almost all the major religious traditions as among the greatest of virtues.