Compassion

Compassion is not pity ... compassion never considers an object as weak or inferior. Compassion, one might say, works from a strength born of awareness of shared weakness, and not from someone else's weakness. And from the awareness of the mutuality of us all. Thus, to put down another as in pity is to put down oneself. - Matthew Fox

In the beginning, compassion is like the seed without which we cannot have any fruit; in the middle, compassion is like water to nourish the seed we have planted; in the end, compassion is like the warmth of the sun that brings the fruit to ripening. - Buddha

There never was any heart truly great and generous that was not also tender and compassionate. It is this noble quality that makes all men to be of one kind; for every man would be (as it were) a distinct species to himself, were there no sympathy among individuals. - Robert South

Compassion is not just feeling with someone, but seeking to change the situation. 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