--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Compassion is not pity ... compassion…" description: "\"Compassion is not pity ... compassion never considers an object as weak or inferior. Compassion, one might say, works from a strength born of awareness..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/matthew-fox-4448_awareness_compassion-is-not-pity-compassion-never_2940443.png" --- # Compassion is not pity ... compassion never considers an… ![“Compassion is not pity ... compassion never considers an object as weak or inferior. Compassion, one might say, works from a strength born of awareness of shared weakness, and not from someone else's weakness. And from the awareness of the mutuality of us all. Thus to put down another as in pity…” quote by Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/matthew-fox-4448_awareness_compassion-is-not-pity-compassion-never_2940443.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/matthew-fox-4448_awareness_compassion-is-not-pity-compassion-never_2940443.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/matthew-fox-4448_awareness_compassion-is-not-pity-compassion-never_2940443.png) > “Compassion is not pity ... compassion never considers an object as weak or inferior. Compassion, one might say, works from a strength born of awareness of shared weakness, and not from someone else's weakness. And from the awareness of the mutuality of us all. Thus to put down another as in pity is to put down oneself.” [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compassion arises from recognizing shared vulnerability, not from feeling superior to others. **In simple terms:** Compassion is about shared weakness. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy. Themes compassion shared strength awareness Mood thoughtful empathetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - counseling - conflict resolution - team leadership - community building Key Concepts humanism ethical living Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice compassion without enabling weakness? - What boundaries protect both parties? A Different Perspective Compassion may be misused as excuse for inaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Pity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pity/) [Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/) ## Related quotes > [“The sick person becomes very adept at distinguishing between compassion and pity. Compassion is someone else’s suffering flaring in your own nerves. Pity is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-wiman/the-sick-person-becomes-very-adept-at-distinguishing-between/) [Christian Wiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-wiman/) > [It seems to me, that if people only knew how hard it was for me to endure life, they would find it easier to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivo-andri/it-seems-to-me-that-if-people-only-knew-how-hard-it-was-for-me-to/) [Ivo Andric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivo-andri/) > [Compassion and pity are not the same: pity is looking down on someone, feeling sorry for them and offering nothing; compassion is seeing their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasinda-wilder/compassion-and-pity-are-not-the-same-pity-is-looking-down-on-someone/) [Jasinda Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasinda-wilder/) > [If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-of-assisi/if-you-have-men-who-will-exclude-any-of-god-s-creatures-from-the/) [Francis of Assisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-of-assisi/) > [“The vilest of men and the wickedest of women likewise may do good from time to time, for love and compassion and pity may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/the-vilest-of-men-and-the-wickedest-of-women-likewise-may-do-good/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [Compassion and pity are very different. Whereas compassion reflects the yearning of the heart to merge and take on some of the suffering, pity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/compassion-and-pity-are-very-different-whereas-compassion-reflects/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [“9:36a    ἰδὼν δὲ τούς ὄχλους ἐσπλαγχνίσθη πεϱὶ αὐτῶν seeing the crowds, his insides were moved with pity for them THE JEWS AND THE GREEKS could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erasmo-leiva/9-36a-seeing-the-crowds-his-insides-were-moved-with-pity-for-them-the/) Erasmo Leiva > [From looking at your neighbor and realizing his true significance, and that he will die, pity and compassion will arise in you for him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/from-looking-at-your-neighbor-and-realizing-his-true-significance-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are two kinds of pity. One, the weak and sentimental kind, which is really no more than the heart's impatience to be rid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/there-are-two-kinds-of-pity-one-the-weak-and-sentimental-kind-which/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [“She lacks our ability to see the future. Her powers are destruction, not prophecy. I’m sure had she known he would one day threaten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/she-lacks-our-ability-to-see-the-future-her-powers-are-destruction/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“Our tragedy today is a general and universal physical fear so long sustained by now that we can even bear it. There are no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/our-tragedy-today-is-a-general-and-universal-physical-fear-so-long-2/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“For indeed whatsoever proceeds from the gods, deserves respect for their worth and excellency; and whatsoever proceeds from men, as they are our kinsmen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/for-indeed-whatsoever-proceeds-from-the-gods-deserves-respect-for/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [When we call something unfair or indecent or unconscionable or evil, when we speak of mercy and pity and compassion, those words have meaning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-scully/when-we-call-something-unfair-or-indecent-or-unconscionable-or-evil/) [Matthew Scully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-scully/) > [Expect nothing, live frugally on surprise. Become a stranger to need of pity. Or if compassion be freely given out, take only enough. Stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/expect-nothing-live-frugally-on-surprise-become-a-stranger-to-need-of/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-nation-was-born-in-genocide-when-it-embraced-the-doctrine-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More by Matthew Fox > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [We honor life when we work. The type of work is not important: the fact of work is. All work feeds the soul if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/we-honor-life-when-we-work-the-type-of-work-is-not-important-the-fact/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [Evil is the shadow of angel. Just as there are angels of light, support, guidance, healing and defense, so we have experiences of shadow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/evil-is-the-shadow-of-angel-just-as-there-are-angels-of-light-support/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I'm not really a tropical paradise kind of person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-m-not-really-a-tropical-paradise-kind-of-person/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [We must work on our souls, enlarging and expanding them. We do so by experiencing all of life-the beauty and the joy as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/we-must-work-on-our-souls-enlarging-and-expanding-them-we-do-so-by/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I don't think that fundamentalism has anything to do with Jesus Christ. They call themselves Christians, but if that's Christian, count me out. Fundamentalism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-don-t-think-that-fundamentalism-has-anything-to-do-with-jesus/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [“where does creativity come from? Creativity comes from the Universe itself. “There is music and poetry in the Universe itself — surely we hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/where-does-creativity-come-from-creativity-comes-from-the-universe/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I didn't learn to swim until I was 21 or something because I grew up in the mountains in Wyoming and all the water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-didn-t-learn-to-swim-until-i-was-21-or-something-because-i-grew-up/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I think you've got to take your time and make sure you're making choices that are smart for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-think-you-ve-got-to-take-your-time-and-make-sure-you-re-making/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [Animals teach us about the animals in ourselves. We need their spirits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/animals-teach-us-about-the-animals-in-ourselves-we-need-their-spirits/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [The universe is in the habit of making beauty. There are flowers and songs, snowflakes and smiles, acts of great courage, laughter between friends,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/the-universe-is-in-the-habit-of-making-beauty-there-are-flowers-and/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [“If you don't work on yourself, then much of your politics is merely projections. We have to walk our talk and do the inner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/if-you-don-t-work-on-yourself-then-much-of-your-politics-is-merely/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [Any time I need to be really physical, and a role requires that, you're kind of viscerally activated by being that physical in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/any-time-i-need-to-be-really-physical-and-a-role-requires-that-you-re/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I directed an episode of 'Party of Five' toward the very end of that show. It was a great experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-directed-an-episode-of-party-of-five-toward-the-very-end-of-that/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [“Who is this woman who took on the Emporer Barbarosa, comparing him to an infant and a madman, and threatened that God’s sword would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/who-is-this-woman-who-took-on-the-emporer-barbarosa-comparing-him-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) [Explore all 111 Matthew Fox quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) ## More Awareness quotes > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [Listening is a very active awareness of the coming together of at least two lives. Listening, as far as I'm concerned, is certainly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/listening-is-a-very-active-awareness-of-the-coming-together-of-at/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [“In the worldly life, due to maadakta (intoxication of the ego of ‘I am Chandubhai’), one has completely lost awareness of everything about one’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/in-the-worldly-life-due-to-maadakta-intoxication-of-the-ego-of-i-am/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [A tree is a self: it is 'unseen shaping' more than it is leaves or bark, roots or cellulose or fruit ... What this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-swimme/a-tree-is-a-self-it-is-unseen-shaping-more-than-it-is-leaves-or-bark/) [Brian Swimme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-swimme/) > [I know the importance of highly trained awareness of the “moment” and the immediate and intuitive response of the photographer. It should be obvious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ansel-adams/i-know-the-importance-of-highly-trained-awareness-of-the-moment-and/) [Ansel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ansel-adams/) > [The thing about living alone is that it gives you a lot of time to think. You don't necessarily reach any conclusions, because wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/the-thing-about-living-alone-is-that-it-gives-you-a-lot-of-time-to/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [“It is not so much about fighting against the ego; it is more about harmonizing with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-sara/it-is-not-so-much-about-fighting-against-the-ego-it-is-more-about/) [Grace Sara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-sara/) > [I'm part of a team that raises millions of dollars and raises awareness of HIV and AIDS all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-evangelista/i-m-part-of-a-team-that-raises-millions-of-dollars-and-raises/) [Linda Evangelista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-evangelista/) > [“Don’t turn your face away. Once you’ve seen, you can no longer act like you don’t know. Open your eyes to the truth. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vashti-quiroz-vega/don-t-turn-your-face-away-once-you-ve-seen-you-can-no-longer-act-like/) Vashti Quiroz-Vega > [“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/) > [Sometimes I am a collector of data, and only a collector, and am likely to be gross and miserly, piling up notes, pleased with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/sometimes-i-am-a-collector-of-data-and-only-a-collector-and-am-likely/) [Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/) > [The bird with the thorn in its breast, it follows an immutable law; it is driven by it knows not what to impale itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-mccullough/the-bird-with-the-thorn-in-its-breast-it-follows-an-immutable-law-it/) [Colleen McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-mccullough/) > [Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal. You, O worthy one, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seeking-means-to-have-a-goal-but-finding-means-to-be-free-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between the stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/human-freedom-involves-our-capacity-to-pause-between-the-stimulus-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) [Browse all 4,768 Awareness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Compassion is not pity ... compassion never considers an object as weak or inferior. Compassion, one might say, works from a strength born of awareness of shared weakness, and not from someone else's weakness. And from the awareness of the mutuality of us all. Thus to put down another as in pity is to put down oneself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matthew Fox" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/compassion-is-not-pity-compassion-never-considers-an-object-as-weak/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Awareness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/compassion-is-not-pity-compassion-never-considers-an-object-as-weak/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/matthew-fox-4448_awareness_compassion-is-not-pity-compassion-never_2940443.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/matthew-fox-4448_awareness_compassion-is-not-pity-compassion-never_2940443.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/matthew-fox-4448_awareness_compassion-is-not-pity-compassion-never_2940443.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Compassion is not pity ... compassion never considers an object as weak or inferior. Compassion, one might…” — Matthew Fox", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Matthew Fox", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Compassion is not pity ... compassion...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/compassion-is-not-pity-compassion-never-considers-an-object-as-weak/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/compassion-is-not-pity-compassion-never-considers-an-object-as-weak/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```