Action Quote by Pema Chodron
“Compassionate action starts with seeing yourself when you start to make yourself right and when you start to make yourself wrong. At that point you could just contemplate the fact that there is a larger alternative to either of those, a more tender, shaky kind of place where you could live.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Places That Scare You, 2001
Compassionate action begins with self‑awareness, acknowledging both right and wrong, and opening to a broader, gentler perspective beyond binary judgments.
In simple terms: Self‑awareness leads to compassionate choices beyond right/wrong thinking.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate self‑compassion and consider alternatives beyond dualism.
Themes
mindfulness
compassion
self‑awareness
philosophy
Mood
gentle
thoughtful
Type
spiritual
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal growth
- conflict resolution
- spiritual practice
Key Concepts
non‑dualism
ethical choice
inner dialogue
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you hold both right and wrong within yourself?
- What does a “tender, shaky place” feel like?
A Different Perspective
Binary thinking can limit empathy and insight.
![“[When nature appears complicated:] The moment we contemplate it as it is, and attain a position from which we can take a commanding view, though but of a small part of its plan, we never fail to recognize that sublime simplicity on which the mind rests satisfied that it has attained the truth.” quote by John Herschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c0b/john-herschel-18983_complicated_when-nature-appears-complicated-the-mome_203650.jpg)
![“[The lion] began to contemplate me with a kind of quiet premeditation, like that of a slow-witted man fondling an unaccustomed thought.” quote by Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ad2/beryl-markham-6709_contemplate_the-lion-began-to-contemplate-me-with-a_193009.jpg)
