Antonia Solari Moran
What is compassion, and how could it possibly be medicine?
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Not to be confused with its cousins Empathy and Sympathy, compassion has been elevated to field status: Compassion Science. Though relatively young, Compassion Science and its body of research highlights the benefits to the brain and body of the giver upon taking kind, compassionate action for others or the self. From evidence that suggests lowered rates of depression and anxiety, to decreased blood pressure and higher general sense of well-being, compassion seems to be a powerful medicine to combat the ills of our day.
And do we need it: We are suffering high rates of depression, anxiety (+ here), loneliness (+ here), among the other slings and arrows that accompany life. There are many causes to blame, from the pandemic’s aftermath to social media, to too much tech and dwindling human contact, to overly processed foods…and so on. The issue now is: what is there to do about it?
Perhaps a somewhat unconventional – yet wholly human – medicine is in order: a healthy dose of compassion.
Read complete blog here.