Why Do We Identify Suffering?

Compassion requires introspection, consideration and awareness. Many times suffering is often diminished, concealed, or even refused but the capability to identify suffering is critical to living in a compassionate way. If we practice it, we teach ourselves to become more aware of not only our own experiences but to also be sensitive to the circumstances of others while continuing to observe any suffering that is currently present. It is only then where we can see past the suffering to begin a healing process. Responding to other beings in a compassionate manner means acknowledging that the general human condition can be a bit of a mess. We must take notice of our judgmental thoughts about those around us and try to reject our tendencies to have preconceived notions about why people act in these questionable, messy ways. If we observe any unwillingness within ourselves to let other people be flawed, we can then try to remember that all human beings have these three qualities in common: we all make mistakes, at some point we all have suffering in our lives regardless of circumstance and we desire
to have freedom of that suffering. Lets take a look at what makes the compassionate care principle an ethical principle of behavior.
To be compassionate towards someone, I must first be aware of who this person is, what they want, and how they are feeling. To act in an ethical manner, I must not only consider my own desires, interests, and self worth but to consider them alongside the desires, interests and self worth of all of those involved, as well. When acting from a place of compassion, not only are you, ethically, considering the desires, interests and feelings of another individual but you are also trying to be of benefit to this person during their time of need. As the theory of Feminine Ethics of Care states, it is in the action that brings out the best of the person being cared for in terms of approaching the individual person as just that, an individual, not a subset of abstract
characteristics.
Much too often in our cities, we see these same scenes unfolding and we just walk by. We only see the here and now of those scenes, we don’t actually have any real concept, understanding or comprehension of how that human came to be where they are. We make all sorts of misguided assumptions, whether it’s because we have been desensitized to these situations or because we are just too busy to notice. Unfortunately, we are failing to see the raw humanity that is right in front of our eyes. When we truly allow ourselves to see these scenes and actually open up to them, what we see is someone’s child, someone’s parents, someone’s sibling. Perhaps even someone’s difficult and brutal life that really has no resemblance to the original plans they made for themselves or even the dreams that they once held. To describe this in an ethical sense, compassion is a rather distinguishable feeling that emerges within us in reaction to witnessing suffering. When we acknowledge that suffering is present, a feeling of concern for that person or situation emerges, alongside a wish for that pain to be relieved and an inclination to help the situation. It is deciding to turn toward the being who is in despair and choosing to step into that intimate moment with them, instead of turning away. It is seeing that there can be beauty within the hurt, it is seeing the wholeness alongside the brokenness. We must retrain our minds to become aware of all the beauty that exists within the people, situations and the environments that surround us. Having compassion for another being is a natural human ability, yet far too often we let our individual experiences and societal cultural norms hinder our innate ability to feel, to convey and even to receive the gift of compassion. When we grant ourselves the permission to give and the permission to receive freely, it is only then plausible to profoundly connect with those around us and to truly liberate ourselves.