Episode 398: Empathy Vs Compassion

What's the difference between compassion and empathy? I’m Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard Last week I talked about whether we could feel another's pain. Taking a step back from that I'm deconstructing what compassion and empathy means. I identify as an empath -- in seeing one's pain I feel and identify with that pain. Mattieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk from France has studied the neurobiology of empathy and compassion. He emphasized that empathy is feeling another's pain. Ex: your child is afraid of the thunderstorm and in empathy you also feel that pain and fear. He contrasts that experience with compassion: compassion leads to action (vs empathy which leads to feeling). Compassion leads to think of interventions, contributions, help and solutions. This leads towards kindness and desire to help. Empathy is required to lead to compassion. Compassion allows a layer of distance that empathy does not. The neuroscience has demonstrated that the areas of the brain lit up during empathy were areas that lead to stress, anxiety and burnout. Whereas, the compassion areas of the brain were not in stress but problem-solving and sustainable. Do these experiences contribute to our experience of pain? As we head into the holidays. I have empathy and compassion and I hope you are extending compassion for yourselves. If you want tips and techniques for managing your illnesses and holidays (alone or with others!) check out my Holidays Playlist or go view videos 118, 117, 116, 115, 114, 291, 292, 367. This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.