--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Compassion does not just happen. Pity…" description: "\"Compassion does not just happen. Pity does, but compassion is not pity. It's not a feeling. Compassion is a viewpoint, a way of life, a perspective, a ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7a/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_compassion_compassion-does-not-just-happen-pity-doe_1034332.jpg" --- # Compassion does not just happen. Pity does, but compassion… ![“Compassion does not just happen. Pity does, but compassion is not pity. It's not a feeling. Compassion is a viewpoint, a way of life, a perspective, a habit that becomes a discipline - and more than anything else, compassion is a choice we make that love is more important than comfort or…” quote by Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7a/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_compassion_compassion-does-not-just-happen-pity-doe_1034332.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7a/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_compassion_compassion-does-not-just-happen-pity-doe_1034332.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7a/glennon-doyle-melton-3408_compassion_compassion-does-not-just-happen-pity-doe_1034332.jpg) > “Compassion does not just happen. Pity does, but compassion is not pity. It's not a feeling. Compassion is a viewpoint, a way of life, a perspective, a habit that becomes a discipline - and more than anything else, compassion is a choice we make that love is more important than comfort or convenience.” [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compassion is a deliberate habit and choice, not a fleeting feeling. **In simple terms:** Compassion is a practiced mindset. Key Takeaway Choose compassion over comfort. Themes compassion choice habit ethics Mood reflective empathetic Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - caregiving - volunteering - personal development - stressful Key Concepts psychology morality mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What daily practices can reinforce compassionate habits? - When does compassion become self‑sacrifice? A Different Perspective Compassion can be taxing when it conflicts with personal comfort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Compassion Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion-choice-1853302/) [Compassion Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion-does-1842736/) [Compassion Viewpoint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion-viewpoint-2382689/) [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Does Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/does-compassion-2382688/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Way of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-of-life/) ## Related quotes > [“Paul Farmer, the renowned physician who has spent his life trying to cure the world's sickest and poorest people, once quoted me something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-stevenson/paul-farmer-the-renowned-physician-who-has-spent-his-life-trying-to/) [Bryan Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-stevenson/) > [Oh, why does compassion weaken us?' It doesn't, really...Somewhere where it all balances out-don't the philosophers have a name for it, the perfect place,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/oh-why-does-compassion-weaken-us-it-doesn-t-really-somewhere-where-it/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [Love is ruthless; it doesn't feel sorry for anyone, but it does have compassion. Fear is full of pity; it feels sorry for everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/love-is-ruthless-it-doesn-t-feel-sorry-for-anyone-but-it-does-have/) [Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/) > [We must help each other to be present and compassionate. Remember that we have no idea what the person next to us is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alysia-reiner/we-must-help-each-other-to-be-present-and-compassionate-remember-that/) [Alysia Reiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alysia-reiner/) > [“I began to wonder—how do we respond to our fellow humans when they break down in front of us? Do we recognize ourselves in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-russell-agodon/i-began-to-wonder-how-do-we-respond-to-our-fellow-humans-when-they/) [Kelli Russell Agodon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-russell-agodon/) > [What does this compassion entail? ... It means understanding one's connection to the whole of creation: understanding that one is part of that creation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-tabick/what-does-this-compassion-entail-it-means-understanding-one-s/) [Jackie Tabick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-tabick/) > [“True compassion does not stem from the pleasure of feeling close to one person or another, but from the conviction that other people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/true-compassion-does-not-stem-from-the-pleasure-of-feeling-close-to/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [All meditation must begin with arousing deep compassion. Whatever one does must emerge from an attitude of love and benefitting others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milarepa/all-meditation-must-begin-with-arousing-deep-compassion-whatever-one/) [Milarepa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milarepa/) > [An attitude of compassion does not mean looking down on someone, pitying them in their misery. Compassion is based on respect. We discuss life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/an-attitude-of-compassion-does-not-mean-looking-down-on-someone/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [Compassion is for the very strong. Compassion does not come to the weak. People who are unkind, bullies, use rude language, are not strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/compassion-is-for-the-very-strong-compassion-does-not-come-to-the/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [True compassion does not come from wanting to help out those less fortunate than ourselves but from realizing our kinship with all beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/true-compassion-does-not-come-from-wanting-to-help-out-those-less/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“Justice doesn’t necessarily make the world a better place. Compassion always does.’” I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/justice-doesn-t-necessarily-make-the-world-a-better-place-compassion/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [What value has compassion that does not take its object in its arms?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/what-value-has-compassion-that-does-not-take-its-object-in-its-arms/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [One who practices self compassion does not drag their feet when it comes time to perform a task. People with self compassion keep going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kumar-sinha/one-who-practices-self-compassion-does-not-drag-their-feet-when-it/) [Dr Anil Kumar Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kumar-sinha/) > [If the extension of your compassion does not include all living beings, then you will be unable to find peace by yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/if-the-extension-of-your-compassion-does-not-include-all-living/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) ## More by Glennon Doyle Melton > [“Just do the next right thing, one thing at a time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/just-do-the-next-right-thing-one-thing-at-a-time/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [Sometimes the rewards of risk don't leave us wrecked. Sometimes we find our passion, our purpose, courage, connection, and comfort. Every good thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/sometimes-the-rewards-of-risk-don-t-leave-us-wrecked-sometimes-we/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [“Grief is nothing but a painful waiting, a horrible patience. Grief cannot be torn down or scaled or overcome or outsmarted. 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I long for something solid, lasting, strong between us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/each-day-we-re-making-sandcastles-i-know-will-be-washed-away-i-long/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [To me, full-time mothering felt like way too much and yet not nearly enough. Lost in a landslide of diapers, birthday parties, and others'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/to-me-full-time-mothering-felt-like-way-too-much-and-yet-not-nearly/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [Rock bottom is a crisis... and everyone wants to avoid crisis. But what 'crisis' means literally is 'to sift' - like a child who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/rock-bottom-is-a-crisis-and-everyone-wants-to-avoid-crisis-but-what/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [We need to make friends with ourselves. We are stuck with our self all day, so let's be kinder, gentler, more amusing company. Let's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/we-need-to-make-friends-with-ourselves-we-are-stuck-with-our-self-all/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [The truth is that cleaning up socks and trying to get someone to really listen to you is marriage. It's less sweep you off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/the-truth-is-that-cleaning-up-socks-and-trying-to-get-someone-to/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [“If you can’t beat fear, just do it scared.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/if-you-can-t-beat-fear-just-do-it-scared/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [“The sun shows up every morning, no matter how bad youve been the night before. It shines without judgment. It never withholds. It warms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/the-sun-shows-up-every-morning-no-matter-how-bad-youve-been-the-night/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > ['Brave' is very specific and extremely personal. It can't be judged by people on the outside. Just can't. Sometimes brave means letting everyone else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/brave-is-very-specific-and-extremely-personal-it-can-t-be-judged-by/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [I know how I like my house. I like it cute and cozy and a little funky, and I like it to feel lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-know-how-i-like-my-house-i-like-it-cute-and-cozy-and-a-little-funky/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [I think of love and marriage in the same way I do plants: We have perennials and annuals. The perennial plant blooms, goes away,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/i-think-of-love-and-marriage-in-the-same-way-i-do-plants-we-have/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) [Explore all 131 Glennon Doyle Melton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) ## More Compassion quotes > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“I fight with love and kindness as my weapons and compassion as my defense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/i-fight-with-love-and-kindness-as-my-weapons-and-compassion-as-my/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“If you refuse to use physical force, then you will be at the mercy of your oppressor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segun-magbagbeola/if-you-refuse-to-use-physical-force-then-you-will-be-at-the-mercy-of/) [Segun Magbagbeola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/segun-magbagbeola/) > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [I could not have slept tonight if I had left that helpless little creature to perish on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-could-not-have-slept-tonight-if-i-had-left-that-helpless-little/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [We are puzzled and bewildered whenever we see suffering in this world because we have become accustomed to the mercy and the long-suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-are-puzzled-and-bewildered-whenever-we-see-suffering-in-this-world/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [“Helpers in every corner, helpers in every hood. That's how we'll make the move, to reform from rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/helpers-in-every-corner-helpers-in-every-hood-that-s-how-we-ll-make/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [May the gods have mercy on whoever pisses them off, because Zarek and Jericho will have none for them. (Madoc) You’d better be glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/may-the-gods-have-mercy-on-whoever-pisses-them-off-because-zarek-and/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“la ilaha ilallah muhammadun rasulullah, alaihi salatullah wa alihi wal ahibba "shine your mercy like the sun, and be gracious as the earth let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-al-habib/la-ilaha-ilallah-muhammadun-rasulullah-alaihi-salatullah-wa-alihi-wal/) [Talib al Habib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-al-habib/) > [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) [Browse all 9,892 Compassion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Compassion does not just happen. 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