Compassion Quote by Eleanor Roosevelt
““I learned, too, while I was groping for more and more effective ways of trying to cope with community and national and world problems, that you can accomplish a great deal more if you care deeply about what is happening to other people than if you say in apathy or discouragement, “Oh, what can I do? What use is one person? I might as well not bother.” Actually I suppose the caring comes from being able to put yourself in the position of the other person. If you cannot imagine, “This might happen to me,” you are able to say to yourself with indifference, “Who cares?” I think that one of the reasons it is so difficult for us, as a people, to understand other areas of the world is that we cannot put ourselves imaginatively in their place. We have no famine. But if we were actually to see people dying of starvation we would care quite””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Address on Global Compassion, 1940s
Caring deeply for others' suffering fuels effective action, whereas apathy limits impact. Empathy requires imagining oneself in others' situations.
In simple terms: Empathy drives action; indifference hinders it.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate empathy to act.
Themes
compassion
empathy
social responsibility
global awareness
Mood
reflective
motivational
serious
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- humanitarian work
- policy making
- community volunteering
- education programs
- media storytelling
Key Concepts
Humanism
psychology
ethical motivation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you practice empathy for distant suffering?
- What barriers prevent you from caring?
A Different Perspective
Empathy can be limited by personal privilege and lack of direct experience.
