Article July 18, 1903 Issue

Compassion

WILLIAM P. MCKENZIE

PITY is both sought for and resented. Those who are unfortunate endeavor to awaken sympathetic grief in the hearts of men by recounting their distresses; yet when they have awakened pity, they find themselves made inferior by the recognition of their weakness and misfortune on the part of those who pity, and this often arouses indignation. The real desire of those who seek pity is to gain special and undeserved favor, and in this how often are they disappointed, getting commiseration instead. "How miserable I am!" is the plaint; and if the reply be, from one standing aloof, "Indeed you are very miserable," what uplift is there?

It has been said that pity as a mere emotion produces almost nothing in the way of benevolence. The sorrows of the unfortunate heroine in a play may be so presented that pity overflows in the hearts of the listeners, yet these same persons who looked at imaginary sorrow with streaming eyes, usually experience a reaction into a state of callousness when genuine sorrow and need call for action.

Sympathy is better than pity, for it indicates fellow-feeling and implies equality, or some bond of union with the sufferer. There is no looking down from a superior condition of good fortune upon the condition of misfortune, but rather the warm sense of kinship which urges on to helpfulness. When pity is accompanied by the inclination to help, it has risen to sympathy; yet even at that stage it may be the suffering and distress of others upon which the thought is concentrated, and their misfortunes, and sorrows may continue to be viewed as part of reality, even when effort to relieve them is contemplated.

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