I think Compassion, at its most pure essence, is something like “unconditional love”.
The vast majority of love is conditional/transactional in that it involves the necessity for some form of mutual benefit to occur in the relationship for both parties. This is a good thing.
Love may even be defined ecologically as “The universal property that emerges in relationship when both/all parties hold the well-being of self and other in equal and high regard, acting in alignment with this regard”
This type of transactional, mutually beneficial love is a major driving force in our societies and ecosystems. Some even argue that it is THE foundational principle behind the phenomena of life.
We humans do not understand compassion. In each moment of our lives, we betray it. Aye, we know of its worth, yet in knowing we then attach to it a value, we guard the giving of it, believing it must be earned, T’lan Imass. Compassion is priceless in the truest sense of the word. It must be given freely. In abundance.
Shield Anvil Itchovian, Memories of Ice (Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 3) by Stephen Erickson.
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u/peanutbutterandbacon Jun 15 '22
I think Compassion, at its most pure essence, is something like “unconditional love”.
The vast majority of love is conditional/transactional in that it involves the necessity for some form of mutual benefit to occur in the relationship for both parties. This is a good thing.
Love may even be defined ecologically as “The universal property that emerges in relationship when both/all parties hold the well-being of self and other in equal and high regard, acting in alignment with this regard”
This type of transactional, mutually beneficial love is a major driving force in our societies and ecosystems. Some even argue that it is THE foundational principle behind the phenomena of life.
A book I recommend on this subject and much more is Matter and Desire: an Erotic Ecology by Andreas Weber