Compassion Revisited Revisited

Compassion involves a strong desire to alleviate suffering - to act. Action can be compelled by other, less generous motives, however, such as feeling good about oneself in the absence of a moral right to do so.

Compelled action is a necessary, though perhaps not an entirely sufficient, component of compassion; capricious conduct compelled by a pure motive scarcely achieves its intended target.

Righteous action directed by a purposeful course has the possibility of assuaging suffering, though it does not make it certain. Hippocrates decree, to first do no harm, cannot be determined because the outcome of our actions is not always apparent. The prospect of unintended consequences always accompanies our actions; however, we must not let the fear of such impede our action.

Compassion dictates we do something. Let’s do it circumspectly, considerately, humbly, but let’s do it nontheless.