167 Compassion And Empathy Quotes

Following is our list of compassion and empathy quotations and slogans full of insightful wisdom and perspective about compassion for others.

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Famous Compassion And Empathy Quotes

Compassion is ethical intelligence: it is the capacity to make connections and the consequent urge to act to relieve the suffering of others. — Will Tuttle

In compassion lies the world's true strength. — Buddha

True compassion means not only feeling another's pain but also being moved to help relieve it. — Daniel Goleman

True compassion is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason. — Dalai Lama

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive. — Dalai Lama

Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity. — Pema Chodron

Empathy is not simply a matter of trying to imagine what others are going through, but having the will to muster enough courage to do something about it. In a way, empathy is predicated upon hope. — Cornel West

Compassion and pity are not the same: pity is looking down on someone, feeling sorry for them and offering nothing; compassion is seeing their pain and offering them understanding. — Jasinda Wilder

To have compassion for those who suffer is a human quality which everyone should possess, especially those who have required comfort themselves in the past and have managed to find it in others. — Giovanni Boccaccio

Compassion begins with attention. — Daniel Goleman

Compassion begins with the acknowledgment of the single inescapable truth that is the foundation for the possibility of love between human beings - an awareness of the tragic sense of life. — Sam Keen

Compassion is an action word with no boundaries. - Prince

Compassion is an action word with no boundaries. — Prince

Simple inattention kills empathy, let alone compassion. So the first step in compassion is to notice the other's need. It all begins with the simple act of attention. — Daniel Goleman

Compassion is not an option. It's the key to our survival. — Karen Armstrong

Love and compassion benefit both ourselves and others. Through kindness to others, your heart and mind will be peaceful and open. — Dalai Lama

Short Compassion And Empathy Quotes

  • Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing. — Marshall B. Rosenberg
  • We can bring a heart of understanding and compassion to a world that needs it so much. — Jack Kornfield
  • Compassion is the keen awareness of the interdependence of all things. — Thomas Merton
  • Our compassion and acts of selflessness take us to the deeper truths. — Mata Amritanandamayi
  • Compassion is the radicalism of our time. — Dalai Lama
  • Kindness and empathy is not weakness, it’s strength. — Lex Fridman
  • Human compassion is equal to human cruelty, and it is up to each of us to tip the balance. — Alice Walker

Compassion And Empathy Image Quotes

Compassion and empathy quote A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compas
A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.

What Is Empathy Quotes

How can we get what we really want and at the same time deal with the needs of others in our lives? Perhaps no human dilemma is more pervasive or challenging. — William Ury

Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing. Instead of offering empathy, we often have a strong urge to give advice or reassurance and to explain our own position or feeling. Empathy, however, calls upon us to empty our mind and listen to others with our whole being. — Marshall B. Rosenberg

Listening is the cheapest, yet most effective concession we can make to get there. By listening intensely, a negotiator demonstrates empathy and shows a sincere desire to better understand what the other side is experiencing. — Chris Voss

Compassion and empathy quote Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.
Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.

Tactical empathy is understanding the feelings and mindset of another in the moment and also hearing what is behind those feelings so you increase your influence in all the moments that follow. — Chris Voss

I encourage and empower each of you to really stand in your truth, to stand for what is right — to continue to respect each other. — Meghan Markle

Another person’s progress is an affirmation of what’s possible, not a reason to doubt your own. The people you envy are not your competition, they are your mentors. — Brianna Wiest

Compassion and empathy quote There is a battle of two wolves inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment
There is a battle of two wolves inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, lies, inferiority and ego. The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy and truth. The wolf that wins? The one you feed.

Having hard conversations is unavoidable, so you might as well get good at it. Listen. Be willing to change. Say what needs to be said. Don’t back down just to end the argument or make the other person more comfortable. Speak with empathy, but never sacrifice clarity. — Tom Bilyeu

Insensitivity makes arrogance ugly; empathy is what makes humility beautiful. - Renford Reese

Insensitivity makes arrogance ugly; empathy is what makes humility beautiful. — Renford Reese

We are learning how to work together. We are learning what is different and we are trying to take the best part of each program to bring everything together. — Sergei Krikalev

Empathy is paying attention to another human being, asking what they are feeling, and making a commitment to understanding their world. — Chris Voss

Compassion For Others Quotes

The revolution and women's liberation go together. We do not talk of women's emancipation as an act of charity or out of a surge of human compassion. It is a basic necessity for the revolution to triumph. Women hold up the other half of the sky. — Thomas Sankara

Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others. - Booker T. Washington

Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others. — Booker T. Washington

The challenge today is to convince people of the value of truth, honesty, compassion and a concern for others. — Dalai Lama

Compassion and empathy quote Everything you need, you courage, strength, compassion and love; everything you need is already with
Everything you need, you courage, strength, compassion and love; everything you need is already within you.

If you don't love yourself, you cannot love others. You will not be able to love others. If you have no compassion for yourself then you are not able of developing compassion for others. — Dalai Lama

Compassion is not sympathy. Compassion is mercy. It is a commitment to take responsibility for the suffering of others. — Joan D. Chittister

The wisdom and compassion a woman can intuitively experience in childbirth can make her a source of healing and understanding for other women. — Stephen Gaskin

Compassion and empathy quote If you are more fortunate than others, it is better to build a longer table than a taller fence.
If you are more fortunate than others, it is better to build a longer table than a taller fence.

Self-care is never a selfish act - it is only good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others. — Parker J. Palmer

Activism is the rent I pay for living on this planet. - Alice Walker

Activism is the rent I pay for living on this planet. — Alice Walker

Don’t burden others with your expectations. Understanding their limitations can inspire compassion instead of disappointment, ensuring beneficial and workable relationships. Remember that you have only a short time together. Be grateful for each day you share. — Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche

All suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. — Dalai Lama

Empathy Quotes

We think we listen, but very rarely do we listen with real understanding, true empathy. Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the most potent forces for change that I know. — Carl Rogers

Learning to stand in somebody else's shoes, to see through their eyes, that's how peace begins. And it's up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world. — Barack Obama

Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize? — Marcus Aurelius

Empathy is the most powerful weapon. - Augusto Boal

Empathy is the most powerful weapon. — Augusto Boal

Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. - Simone Weil

Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. — Simone Weil

There is no reconciliation until you recognize the dignity of the other, until you see their view- you have to enter into the pain of the people. You've got to feel their need. — John M. Perkins

If language was given to men to conceal their thoughts, then gesture's purpose was to disclose them. — John Napier

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete. — Jack Kornfield

...man can no more survive psychologically in a psychological milieu that does not respond empathetically to him, than he can survive physically in an atmosphere that contains no oxygen. — Heinz Kohut

Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren't always comfortable, but they're never weakness. — Brené Brown

Empathy And Understanding Quotes

The empathic understanding of the experience of other human beings is as basic an endowment of man as his vision, hearing, touch, taste and smell — Heinz Kohut

Practice true empathy. Not 'I know how you feel' but instead 'I don't know how you feel and I am still here for you'. — Rangan Chatterjee

The power of empathy lies in our ability to understand and relate to others, even if we disagree. — Bret Weinstein

The Ukrainian nation, as no other nation, understands and is fully aware of the tragedy and its scale of all the lost lives of the Ukrainian Jews during the Second World War. — Volodymyr Zelenskyy

But I think that if you don't recognize both, you risk being heartless or condescending, and often both. — James David Vance

How many of us can honestly say that we have plumbed the depths of our minds and hearts? How many of us regularly listen to ourselves with empathy and understanding – in the supportive way that a trusted friend can? — William Ury

Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third. — Marge Piercy

Understand the boat and the boat will understand you. — Scottish Proverbs

Understanding your own attachment style can be a powerful tool for personal growth and improving your relationships. — Amir Levine

Instead of telling a story about how great your brand is, try telling a story that shows you completely understand and empathize with your customer and their life. — Lewis Howes

Sympathy And Empathy Quotes

By peace we mean the capacity to transform conflicts with empathy, without violence, and creatively- a never-ending process — Johan Galtung

Each of the world religions has its own particular genius, its own special insight into the nature and requirements of compassion, and has something unique to teach us. — Karen Armstrong

Just as white light consists of colored rays, so reverence for life contains all the components of ethics: love, kindliness, sympathy, empathy, peacefulness and power to forgive. — Albert Schweitzer

Poetry is for me Eucharistic. You take someone else's suffering into your body, their passion comes into your body, and in doing that you commune, you take communion, you make a community with others. — Mary Karr

Compassion is a living, breathing, organic emotion that vibrates through you and links you to those around you. — Deepak Chopra

I believe that lack of empathy is behind many problems, and I believe that it's disrupting our society. In Great Britain, there is a steady decline in the willingness to be truly generous, and by that I don't mean monetary generosity, but friendship and sympathy for others. — J. K. Rowling

It is characteristic to believe that those in need are given to, that the squeaky hinge is the one that gets the oil, but in the realm of emotions this is not so. It is the person who does not solicit liking and love, admiration and respect, sympathy and empathy to whom they are freely given. — Jo Coudert

Once you find someone to share your ups and downs, downs are almost as good as ups. — Robert Breault

As we learn to have compassion for ourselves, the circle of compassion for others - what and whom we can work with, and how - becomes wider. — Pema Chodron

Like many people, most Libertarians feel empathy and sympathy for less fortunate people. But they know you can't have perfection in a world of limited resources. — Harry Browne

Human Compassion Quotes

The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others. — Albert Schweitzer

The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man. — Charles Darwin

For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: how do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed? — Bell Hooks

Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages. — Thomas Jefferson

A really great man is known by three signs: generosity in the design, humanity in the execution, moderation in success. — Otto von Bismarck

More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. — Charlie Chaplin

Compassion constitutes a radical form of criticism, for it announces that the hurt is to be taken seriously, that the hurt is not to be accepted as normal and natural, but is an abnormal and unacceptable condition for humanness. — Walter Brueggemann

Compassion makes no distinction between friends and enemies, neighbors and outsiders, compatriots and foreigners. Compassion is the gate to human community. — Joan D. Chittister

Artists are the gatekeepers of truth. We are civilization’s anchor. We are the compass for humanity’s conscience. — Harry Belafonte

As custodians of the planet it is our responsibility to deal with all species with kindness, love, and compassion. That these animals suffer through human cruelty is beyond understanding. Please help to stop this madness. — Richard Gere

Understanding And Compassion Quotes

Let us develop respect for all living things. Let us try to replace violence and intolerance with understanding and compassion. And love. — Jane Goodall

Now is the time to understand That all your ideas of right and wrong Were just a child's training wheelsTo be laid aside When you finally live With veracity And love. — Hafez

I believe that women have a capacity for understanding and compassion which a man structurally does not have, does not have it because he cannot have it. He's just incapable of it. — Barbara Jordan

It is not until you become a mother that your judgment slowly turns to compassion and understanding. — Erma Bombeck

Enlightened leadership is spiritual if we understand spirituality not as some kind of religious dogma or ideology but as the domain of awareness where we experience values like truth, goodness, beauty, love and compassion, and also intuition, creativity, insight and focused attention. — Deepak Chopra

Once you understand that someone has Tourette and that they can't help their tics, it takes away the distraction. And you can engage your compassion. You feel for them. You embrace them. — Dylan McDermott

I just don't know that shame and fear need to be our teachers; rather, compassion, understanding, and love should be our guides. — Kyan Douglas

H. W. Longfellow, 'If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.' — William Ury

Computers are magnificent tools for the realization of our dreams, but no machine can replace the human spark of spirit, compassion, love, and understanding. — Louis Gerstner

We can't fight darkness with darkness. We have to find compassion, and embrace the darkness inside of us in order to understand it and, ultimately, to transcend it. — Debbie Ford

Love And Compassion Quotes

The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

True happiness comes from having a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved by cultivating altruism, love and compassion, and by eliminating anger, selfishness and greed. — Dalai Lama

A heart full of love and compassion is the main source of inner strength, willpower, happiness, and mental tranquility — Dalai Lama

Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life's search for love and wisdom. — Rumi

One's life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation and compassion. — Simone de Beauvoir

I would like my life to be a statement of love and compassion--and where it isn't, that's where my work lies. — Ram Dass

A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. — Amelia Earhart

All meditation must begin with arousing deep compassion. Whatever one does must emerge from an attitude of love and benefitting others. — Milarepa

To be completely woman you need a master, and in him a compass for your life. You need a man you can look up to and respect. If you dethrone him it's no wonder that you are discontented, and discontented women are not loved for long. — Marlene Dietrich

To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself. — Nhat Hanh

Being Compassionate Quotes

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these. — George Washington Carver

Be confident. Be compassionate. Be intelligent. Be humble. Be generous. The universe returns to you what you put out. — Lauren Jauregui

You can't go to Heaven hating somebody. Forgive now. Be compassionate now. Be patient now. Be grateful now. Love Jesus and Mary now. Accept God's will now. — Mother Angelica

When life is good do not take it for granted as it will pass. Be mindful, be compassionate and nurture the circumstances that find you in this good time so it will last longer. When life falls apart always remember that this too will pass. Life will have its unexpected turns. — Ajahn Brahm

Some people have a thick skin and you don’t. Your heart is really open and that is going to cause pain, but that is an appropriate response to this world. The cost is high, but the blessing of being compassionate is beyond your wildest dreams. — Anne Lamott

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. — Unknown Author

The Lord has loved me so much: we must love everyone...we must be compassionate! — Josephine Bakhita

We need women who are so strong they can be gentle, so educated they can be humble, so fierce they can be compassionate, so passionate they can be rational, and so disciplined they can be free. — Kavita Ramdas

If I were to meet the slave-traders who kidnapped me and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian and Religious today... The Lord has loved me so much: we must love everyone... we must be compassionate! — Josephine Bakhita

Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate. — Rick Warren

Compassionate Love Quotes

Don’t wait for other people to be loving, giving, compassionate, grateful, forgiving, generous, or friendly... lead the way! — Steve Maraboli

With the beginning of a great & compassionate love, comes the growth of one's heart, and with that, a profound inner change. The way to opening the mind is often first through the heart. And once is the mind & heart are open, so many things become possible. — Irwin Corey

Frequently people think compassion and love are merely sentimental. No! They are very demanding. If you are going to be compassionate, be prepared for action. — Desmond Tutu

Love has an immense ability to help heal the devastating wounds that life sometimes deals us. Love also enhances our sense of connection to the larger world. Loving responsiveness is the foundation of a truly compassionate, civilized society. — Sue Johnson

We continually encounter hardships. People disappoint us. We disappoint ourselves. But God is constant and compassionate. We are not alone. He cares. Against all reason, the transcendent God loves us so much that He has committed Himself to us. — Charles R. Swindoll

If one calls upon Him repeatedly, He becomes compassionate; and so a devoted attachment comes into being. This love for love's sake should be hidden from all eyes. — Sarada Devi

One of the basic points is kindness. With kindness, with love and compassion, with his feeling that is the essence of brotherhood, sisterhood, one will have inner peace. This compassionate feeling is the basis of inner peace. — Dalai Lama

By compassion we make others' misery our own, and so, by relieving them, we relieve ourselves also. — Thomas Browne

I don't think of myself as a role model. I do try to live in a compassionate, considerate and positive way. The only advice I can offer is to find what you love to do, find the joy in it, and express yourself through your passion. — Barry Williams

That which gives us true freedom and true happiness is the compassionate love of Christ. — Pope Francis

People Writing About Compassion And Empathy

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Read quotes by Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama
quotes on life, love and kindness

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Read quotes by Daniel Goleman

Daniel Goleman
quotes on emotional intelligence, leadership and empathy

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Read quotes by Will Tuttle

Will Tuttle

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Read quotes by Buddha

Buddha
quotes on peace, peace of mind and death

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Read quotes by Pema Chodron

Pema Chodron

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Read quotes by Cornel West

Cornel West
quotes on education, leadership and love

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More Compassion And Empathy Quotes

Who taught me that animals were put on this Earth for food? Who taught me to disrespect animals and view them as mere commodities? Who stole my compassion, my empathy and my conscience? Who lied to me? Who instilled this vicious mindset of human-to-animal exploitation as standard operating procedure? — Gary Yourofsky

It is through weakness and vulnerability that most of us learn empathy and compassion and discover our soul. — Desmond Tutu

The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy. — Meryl Streep

When you start to develop your powers of empathy and imagination, the whole world opens up to you. — Susan Sarandon

The functions of intellect are insufficient without courage, love, friendship, compassion and empathy. — Dean Koontz

When you turn your back on the voices of those who are in pain and who are angry, you breed hate. Love is the way out, not hate. — Lex Fridman

True connection can happen without words. It just requires our attention, empathy and compassion. — Rangan Chatterjee

Empathy is becoming completely aware of the other side’s perspective. It’s not an agreement in any way. It’s not compassion. It’s not sympathy. Emotional intelligence—or what I call tactical empathy—is the bedrock of my negotiation approach and comes from years of dealing with hostage crises. — Chris Voss

Self-judgment may be the greatest barrier to self-understanding. If we want to understand other human beings, there is no better way than to listen to them with empathy like a close friend would. If you wish to understand yourself, the same rule applies: listen with empathy. Instead of talking negatively to yourself, try to listen to yourself with respect and positive attention. Instead of judging yourself, accept yourself just as you are. — William Ury

Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives. — Oprah Winfrey

We deserve to experience love fully, equally, without shame and without compromise. — Elliot Page

Empathy, humanity and support for each other is more important than revenue, than growth. — Eric Yuan

All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart. — Tahereh Mafi

Feeling seen and understood is the most wonderful thing because it gives you the gift of confidence. — Alexi Pappas

Love, the beauty of it, the joy of it and even the pain of it, is the most incredible gift to give and receive as a human being. — Elliot Page

The good life is one that is characterized by a deep and abiding sense of love and connection to others. — Martha C. Nussbaum

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity. — Pema Chodron

The point of a liberal arts education is to learn how to think critically and independently, and to develop a sense of empathy for others. — Martha C. Nussbaum

Some people think only intellect counts: knowing how to solve problems, knowing how to get by, knowing how to identify an advantage and seize it. But the functions of intellect are insufficient without courage, love, friendship, compassion, and empathy. — Dean Koontz

I’ve been on the end of losing a fight, and there’s a piece of my heart that has compassion towards that because I know how it feels. — Holly Holm

I use my job to engage empathy and compassion for people society might stereotype or ostricise. — Michael K. Williams

Self-compassion is key because when we're able to be gentle with ourselves in the midst of shame, we're more likely to reach out, connect, and experience empathy. — Brené Brown

Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something and has lost something. — H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

It’s a form of human love to accept our complicated, messy humanity and not run away from it. — Martha C. Nussbaum

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. — Pema Chodron

I don't know if it is a spiritual, physiological or psychological phenomenon, but I believe now more than ever that singing is a universal, built-in mechanism designed to cultivate empathy and compassion. — Eric Whitacre

Be a shining role model of the best qualities humane eating embodies: caring, compassion, and empathy. — Michael Greger

When we have emotions of fear and pity toward the hero of a tragedy, we explore aspects of our own vulnerability in a safe and pleasing setting. — Martha C. Nussbaum

Only your compassion and your loving kindness are invincible, and without limit. — Nhat Hanh

Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little. — Buddha

In learning to pay respectful attention to one another and plants and animals, we relearn the acts of empathy, and thus humility and compassion - ways of proceeding that grow more and more necessary as the world crowds in. — William Kittredge

Love is not without its flaws. The stronger the love, the more it tests you. Compassion and empathy will make true love persist. — Kahlil Gibran

How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, except the pleasure of seeing it. — Adam Smith

People with lower incomes tend to give a greater percentage of their incomes to help others and show greater empathy and compassion - perhaps because they know they might face the same circumstances. — Kavita Ramdas

If you ask anyone, what is morality based on? These are the two factors that always come out: One is reciprocity, … a sense of fairness, and the other one is empathy and compassion. — Frans de Waal

We will never be enlightened unless we realize and own what our capacity, from the best of the best to the worst of the worst because then we have more empathy, more compassion, more sympathy for others who do things that are hurtful and harmful and we see, given certain situations, I'm capable of that myself. So, I'm less judgmental. — Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

To the extent that our experience of suffering reminds us of what everyone else also endures, it serves as a powerful inspiration to practice compassion and avoid causing others pain. And to the extent that suffering awakens our empathy and causes us to connect with others, it serves as the basis of compassion and love. — Dalai Lama

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