Compassion Quote by Ayn Rand
““Compassion is a wonderful thing. It's what one feels when one looks at a squashed caterpillar. An elevating experience. One can let oneself go and spread--you know, like taking a girdle off. You don't have to hold your stomach, your heart or your spirit up--when you feel compassion. All you have to do is look down. It's much easier. When you look up, you get a pain in the neck. Compassion is the greatest virtue. It justifies suffering. There's got to be suffering in the world, else how would we be virtuous and feel compassion?... Oh, it has an antithesis--but such a hard, demanding one... Admiration, Mrs. Jones, admiration. But that takes more than a girdle... So I say that anyone for whom we can't feel sorry is a vicious person. Like Howard Roark.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “Compassion and Virtue,” 1974, The Objectivist Newsletter
Compassion is portrayed as a simple, grounding feeling that arises from observing suffering, contrasted with higher, more demanding virtues like admiration.
In simple terms: Compassion is easy, admiration is harder.
Key Takeaway
Recognize compassion’s simplicity.
Themes
ethics
virtue
human nature
emotion
philosophy
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- Personal relationships
- charitable work
- ethical debates
Key Concepts
Empathy
moral hierarchy
self‑interest
Questions to Reflect On
- What limits does compassion have in moral decision‑making?
- When does admiration become necessary?
A Different Perspective
May simplify complex moral emotions.
