Q12: Are you deeply compassionate?

As a child, I remember reading a comic book illustrating the true story of Smokey the Bear. The same Smokey who would become the iconic forest fire prevention mascot. Reading the story of how a this bear cub was rescued and his burnt paws bandaged moved me in a deep way.

Webster’s Dictionary defines compassion as “Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.” This is an accurate descriptor of my personality. I believe that I’ve always had an ability to “feel” the pain and misfortune of others – friend or stranger. If I observe a way to relieve the discomfort of another person, I can usually inconvenience myself to a great degree to help them. Passing homeless people on the street, my imagination generally places me in their shoes. I imagine the experiences that have brought me to this point, the hopelessness I feel, and the attitude toward life that I would have.

As a human being prone to failure without even trying to fail, I’m deeply troubled when I think of situations in which I lacked compassion toward others. I want to make the lives of the people around me more fulfilling and more meaningful – I must show greater compassion to both the stranger and my friend.