In yesterday’s post I dipped into the world of verbal abuse. Being witness to it on so many levels has left me feeling the need for an antidote. Whilst delving into what to write, the words ‘compassion in action’ popped into my head. Imagine my surprise when I found that it’s a real ‘thing’, not just a whisper in my head.
Professor Paul Gilbert, a British clinical psychologist featured in the short video below, briefly explores the science of compassion. This link will take you to a longer discussion about his research. Lasting an 1hr 17mins it is well worth listening to.
Compassion, he says, is made up of two psychologies – sensitivity to the suffering/distress of self and others with a deep commitment to try to relieve and prevent it.
Before retirement he was the head of the Mental Health Research Unit in Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. He is the founder compassion focused therapy, and compassionate mind training. Well, I never!
Compassion International is an organisation dedicated to releasing children from living in poverty.
And on a local level, compassion in action is surely present in acts small and large if we just open our eyes to see.
Raili Tanska
Be compassion in action
soulgifts - Telling Tales 
Wow Raili,
Will look at video, sounds good.
Just remembered a community project part funded by the local council & a charity called ‘compassion in action’ providing emotional and practical help to families and individuals in distress.
Thank you 🙂
Hope you are well.
I can’t believe I have not heard of these organisations, or the scientific research, before.
We’re well on the way to recovery, thanks Margaret.
Think the group I knew named it off the top of their head. Don’t think any scientific research carried out but I am sure if they could have quoted the research it would have assisted them in funding applications ❤️Glad you are both feeling better
P.s before I retired as a Health visitor.
Just what the world needs more than anything – more compassion!
Yes!!
Toward a better world.
Sensitivity + commitment. That’s an useful definition of compassion, I think. Thank you so much!
It is such an interesting concept to delve into, Paul. I discovered that the Prof has quite a number of lectures on YouTube about this subject.I plan to dip into them all.