Compassion to me means having humanity. It is important to our society because it allows us to
form empathy not only for ourselves but for others as well. The more we understand others the more we will want to relieve their suffering. Society learns about mass tragedies on an almost daily basis. In a world full of anarchy and negative atmospheres, there is a need for compassion. Society has historically encountered, and sometimes even encouraged barbaric affairs. But, with hell…there is heaven as well. Compassion allows a new environment to thrive. Drug addiction, school violence, and suicide are some of the sad results of all the pressure and stress we as people are constantly faced with. During my freshman year of high school, I was bullied. Why? Specifically, because I was doing poorly in my class, leading people to think I’m stupid. The reason does not matter though, because no one should be ridiculed for something that is difficult to change. What those students who made fun of me lacked, was compassion. During this time, I was dealing with the recent death of my father and going through financial difficulties with my family. This is what led to me doing poorly in school. No one knew that though. So the students around me decided to judge me and lack empathy for me because they did not understand. They did not have compassion. This is why compassion is important. We can all develop the ability to see things from someone else's perspective and sympathize with their emotions. Developing empathy is important and teaches us to reflect, observe and think about our actions and how what we do or say affects others. I learned through my experience that compassion is, unfortunately, not everyone's forte. So, what I must do is be compassionate to everyone, even if they don’t deserve it. As harsh as it sounds, some people do not deserve compassion, but I will never be in their shoes and for that, I have to be compassionate. Ways I have shown compassion is by volunteering. For example, every year I help with my high school’s Thanksgiving Food Drive. We gather food and create packages for families in need around our neighborhood. Growing up in a low-income community, I understand the importance of money and how it is to not have it. I have grown compassion for others in recognizing I am not other people, and other people are not me.
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