Compassion is feeling concern and being motivated to take action to help alleviate that suffering, moving from feeling to doing. It also builds deeper connections and fosters a sense of shared humanity. May these quotes about compassion inspire you to take action for the sake of another person who needs your aid for their troubles. Even the smallest act can change their whole life forever.
1. “All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.” – Tahereh Mafi
2. “While we do our good works let us not forget that the real solution lies in a world in which charity will have become unnecessary.” – Chinua Achebe
3. “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” – Mother Teresa
4. “Beauty is not who you are on the outside, it is the wisdom and time you gave away to save another struggling soul like you.” – Shannon L. Alder
5. “We are all different. Don’t judge, understand instead.” – Roy T. Bennett
6. “Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.” – Pema Chödrön
7. “I learned compassion from being discriminated against. Everything bad that's ever happened to me has taught me compassion.” – Ellen DeGeneres
8. “Every single time you help somebody stand up you are helping humanity rise.” – Steve Maraboli
9. “Compassion is the basis of morality.” – Arthur Schopenhauer
10. “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” – Jack Kornfield
11. “Compassion is the sometimes fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin. It's the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too.” – Frederick Buechner
12. “For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far that gets you.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson
13. “I would rather make mistakes in kindness and compassion than work miracles in unkindness and hardness.” – Mother Teresa
14. “Smile at strangers and you just might change a life.” – Steve Maraboli
15. “We all are so deeply interconnected; we have no option but to love all. Be kind and do good for any one and that will be reflected. The ripples of the kind heart are the highest blessings of the Universe.” – Amit Ray
16. “How beautiful would it be if we could just see souls instead of bodies? To see love and compassion instead of curves.” – Karen Quan
17. “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” – Leo Buscaglia
18. “Developing our sympathetic compassion is not only possible but the only reason for us to be here on earth.” – George Saunders
19. “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.” – Brad Meltzer
20. “It only takes a split second to smile and forget, yet to someone that needed it, it can last a lifetime.” – Steve Maraboli
21. “When we know ourselves to be connected to all others, acting compassionately is simply the natural thing to do.” – Rachel Naomi Remen
22. “Until you have real compassion, you can not recognize love.” – Bob Thurman
23. “Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.” – Jack Kornfield
24. “Compassion is the desire that moves the individual self to widen the scope of its self-concern to embrace the whole of the universal self.” – Arnold Toynbee
25. “Creating uplifting environment for others through the words we use and showing compassion goes outside of the home as well.” – Chris Johnston
26. “Instead of putting others in their place, put yourself in their place.” – Amish Proverb
27. “When we give ourselves compassion, we are opening our hearts in a way that can transform our lives.” – Kristin Neff
28. “Our human compassion binds us the one to the other, not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learned how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.” – Nelson Mandela
29. “No matter who we are, no matter how successful, no matter what our situation, compassion is something we all need to receive and give.” – Catherine Pulsifer
30. “Let our hearts be stretched out in compassion toward others, for everyone is walking his or her own difficult path.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
More Compassion Quotes and Sayings about Life
31. “Compassion is at the heart of every little thing we do. It is the dearest quality we possess. Yet all too often it can be cast aside with consequences too tragic to speak of. To lose our compassion, we lose what it is to be human.” – Anonymous
32. “When we're looking for compassion, we need someone who is deeply rooted, is able to bend and, most of all, embraces us for our strengths and struggles.” – Brene Brown
33. “Cultivating compassion for ourselves and others can bring balance and harmony to our lives in a way we never dreamed of.” – Thubten Chodron
34. “Compassion is the greatest form of love humans have to offer.” – Rachael Joy Scott
35. “Compassion can be defined in many ways, but its essence is a basic kindness, with a deep awareness of the suffering of oneself and of other living things, coupled with the wish and effort to relieve it.” – Paul Gilbert
36. “Converting your energy to compassion and understanding, once you accept this reality, helps our own healing; that type of energy is more positive and calming.” – Lisa Kardos
37. “Compassion, as opposed to pity, allows us to see ourselves in others and tugs at our heart until we find a way to prevent or relieve the other's suffering.” – Linda Barbosa
38. “Being compassionate helps with anger and resolves bitterness more easily than anything.” – Brittany Hallison
39. “Compassion is a muscle that gets stronger with use, and the regular exercise of choosing kindness over cruelty would change us.” – Jonathan Safran
40. “Experiencing terrible pain opens our hearts and minds to express compassion for other people and communion with ourselves.” – Kilroy J. Oldster
41. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” – Maya Angelou
42. “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama
43. “Compassion is not weakness, and concern for the unfortunate is not socialism.” – Hubert H. Humphrey
44. “Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion.” – Dalai Lama
45. “As I get older, the more I stay focused on the acceptance of myself and others, and choose compassion over judgment and curiosity over fear.” – Tracee Ellis Ross
46. “The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.” – Albert Schweitzer
47. “True compassion means not only feeling another's pain but also being moved to help relieve it.” – Daniel Goleman
48. “Compassion is an action word with no boundaries.” – Prince
49. “Mindfulness is about love and loving life. When you cultivate this love, it gives you clarity and compassion for life, and your actions happen in accordance with that.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn
50. “With compassion one becomes courageous. Compassion brings triumph when attacked; it brings security when maintained.” – Tao Te Ching
51. “The individual is capable of both great compassion and great indifference. He has it within his means to nourish the former and outgrow the latter.” – Norman Cousins
52. “Make no judgements where you have no compassion.” – Anne McCaffrey
53. “Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation.” – Henry Ward Beecher
54. “The greatness of a man is measured by the way he treats the little man. Compassion for the weak is a sign of greatness.” – Myles Munroe
55. “Out of compassion I destroy the darkness of their ignorance. From within them I light the lamp of wisdom and dispel all darkness from their lives.” – Bhagavad Gita
56. “When you have learned compassion for yourself, compassion for others is automatic.” – Henepola Gunaratana
57. “Compassion is loving others enough to say or do what is appropriate from an empowered heart without attachment to the outcome.” – Gary Zukav
58. “Compassion is to look beyond your own pain, to see the pain of others.” – Yasmin Mogahed
59. “Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace.” – Albert Schweitzer
60. “As we grow in our consciousness, there will be more compassion and more love, and then the barriers between people, between religions, between nations will begin to fall. Yes, we have to beat down the separateness.” – Ram Dass
61. “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” – Dalai Lama
62. “What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?” – Socrates
63. “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop
64. “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you can't see. Be kind, be patient, and never underestimate the power of your support.” – Anoir Ou-chad
65. “In separateness lies the world's greatest misery; in compassion lies the world's true strength.” – Buddha
66. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
67. “You can accomplish by kindness what you cannot by force.” – Publilius Syrus
68. “The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.” – William Wordsworth
69. “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” – Booker T. Washington
70. “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” – Dalai Lama
71. “A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.” – Steve Maraboli
72. “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.” – Dalai Lama
73. “Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up.” – Jesse Jackson
74. “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” – Coretta Scott King
75. “Those who are truly strong can afford to show compassion.” – Patrik Baboumian
76. “We rise by lifting others.” – Robert Ingersoll
77. “Talk to yourself as you would someone you love.” – Brené Brown
78. “The more you value yourself, the healthier your boundaries are.” – Lorraine Nilon
79. “Self-compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others.” – Dr. Kristin Neff
80. “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Jack Kornfield
Share these Quotes about Self Compassion and Kindness to Oneself and Others with your friends, family, and loved ones to inspire them as well.
2. “While we do our good works let us not forget that the real solution lies in a world in which charity will have become unnecessary.” – Chinua Achebe
3. “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” – Mother Teresa
4. “Beauty is not who you are on the outside, it is the wisdom and time you gave away to save another struggling soul like you.” – Shannon L. Alder
5. “We are all different. Don’t judge, understand instead.” – Roy T. Bennett
6. “Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.” – Pema Chödrön
7. “I learned compassion from being discriminated against. Everything bad that's ever happened to me has taught me compassion.” – Ellen DeGeneres
8. “Every single time you help somebody stand up you are helping humanity rise.” – Steve Maraboli
9. “Compassion is the basis of morality.” – Arthur Schopenhauer
11. “Compassion is the sometimes fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin. It's the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too.” – Frederick Buechner
12. “For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far that gets you.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson
13. “I would rather make mistakes in kindness and compassion than work miracles in unkindness and hardness.” – Mother Teresa
14. “Smile at strangers and you just might change a life.” – Steve Maraboli
16. “How beautiful would it be if we could just see souls instead of bodies? To see love and compassion instead of curves.” – Karen Quan
17. “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” – Leo Buscaglia
18. “Developing our sympathetic compassion is not only possible but the only reason for us to be here on earth.” – George Saunders
19. “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.” – Brad Meltzer
21. “When we know ourselves to be connected to all others, acting compassionately is simply the natural thing to do.” – Rachel Naomi Remen
22. “Until you have real compassion, you can not recognize love.” – Bob Thurman
23. “Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.” – Jack Kornfield
24. “Compassion is the desire that moves the individual self to widen the scope of its self-concern to embrace the whole of the universal self.” – Arnold Toynbee
26. “Instead of putting others in their place, put yourself in their place.” – Amish Proverb
27. “When we give ourselves compassion, we are opening our hearts in a way that can transform our lives.” – Kristin Neff
28. “Our human compassion binds us the one to the other, not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learned how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.” – Nelson Mandela
29. “No matter who we are, no matter how successful, no matter what our situation, compassion is something we all need to receive and give.” – Catherine Pulsifer
30. “Let our hearts be stretched out in compassion toward others, for everyone is walking his or her own difficult path.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
More Compassion Quotes and Sayings about Life
31. “Compassion is at the heart of every little thing we do. It is the dearest quality we possess. Yet all too often it can be cast aside with consequences too tragic to speak of. To lose our compassion, we lose what it is to be human.” – Anonymous
32. “When we're looking for compassion, we need someone who is deeply rooted, is able to bend and, most of all, embraces us for our strengths and struggles.” – Brene Brown
33. “Cultivating compassion for ourselves and others can bring balance and harmony to our lives in a way we never dreamed of.” – Thubten Chodron
34. “Compassion is the greatest form of love humans have to offer.” – Rachael Joy Scott
35. “Compassion can be defined in many ways, but its essence is a basic kindness, with a deep awareness of the suffering of oneself and of other living things, coupled with the wish and effort to relieve it.” – Paul Gilbert
36. “Converting your energy to compassion and understanding, once you accept this reality, helps our own healing; that type of energy is more positive and calming.” – Lisa Kardos
37. “Compassion, as opposed to pity, allows us to see ourselves in others and tugs at our heart until we find a way to prevent or relieve the other's suffering.” – Linda Barbosa
38. “Being compassionate helps with anger and resolves bitterness more easily than anything.” – Brittany Hallison
39. “Compassion is a muscle that gets stronger with use, and the regular exercise of choosing kindness over cruelty would change us.” – Jonathan Safran
40. “Experiencing terrible pain opens our hearts and minds to express compassion for other people and communion with ourselves.” – Kilroy J. Oldster
41. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” – Maya Angelou
42. “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama
43. “Compassion is not weakness, and concern for the unfortunate is not socialism.” – Hubert H. Humphrey
44. “Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion.” – Dalai Lama
45. “As I get older, the more I stay focused on the acceptance of myself and others, and choose compassion over judgment and curiosity over fear.” – Tracee Ellis Ross
46. “The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.” – Albert Schweitzer
47. “True compassion means not only feeling another's pain but also being moved to help relieve it.” – Daniel Goleman
48. “Compassion is an action word with no boundaries.” – Prince
49. “Mindfulness is about love and loving life. When you cultivate this love, it gives you clarity and compassion for life, and your actions happen in accordance with that.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn
50. “With compassion one becomes courageous. Compassion brings triumph when attacked; it brings security when maintained.” – Tao Te Ching
51. “The individual is capable of both great compassion and great indifference. He has it within his means to nourish the former and outgrow the latter.” – Norman Cousins
52. “Make no judgements where you have no compassion.” – Anne McCaffrey
53. “Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation.” – Henry Ward Beecher
54. “The greatness of a man is measured by the way he treats the little man. Compassion for the weak is a sign of greatness.” – Myles Munroe
55. “Out of compassion I destroy the darkness of their ignorance. From within them I light the lamp of wisdom and dispel all darkness from their lives.” – Bhagavad Gita
56. “When you have learned compassion for yourself, compassion for others is automatic.” – Henepola Gunaratana
57. “Compassion is loving others enough to say or do what is appropriate from an empowered heart without attachment to the outcome.” – Gary Zukav
58. “Compassion is to look beyond your own pain, to see the pain of others.” – Yasmin Mogahed
59. “Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace.” – Albert Schweitzer
60. “As we grow in our consciousness, there will be more compassion and more love, and then the barriers between people, between religions, between nations will begin to fall. Yes, we have to beat down the separateness.” – Ram Dass
61. “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” – Dalai Lama
62. “What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?” – Socrates
63. “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop
64. “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you can't see. Be kind, be patient, and never underestimate the power of your support.” – Anoir Ou-chad
65. “In separateness lies the world's greatest misery; in compassion lies the world's true strength.” – Buddha
66. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
67. “You can accomplish by kindness what you cannot by force.” – Publilius Syrus
68. “The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.” – William Wordsworth
69. “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” – Booker T. Washington
70. “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” – Dalai Lama
71. “A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.” – Steve Maraboli
72. “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.” – Dalai Lama
73. “Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up.” – Jesse Jackson
74. “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” – Coretta Scott King
75. “Those who are truly strong can afford to show compassion.” – Patrik Baboumian
76. “We rise by lifting others.” – Robert Ingersoll
77. “Talk to yourself as you would someone you love.” – Brené Brown
78. “The more you value yourself, the healthier your boundaries are.” – Lorraine Nilon
79. “Self-compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others.” – Dr. Kristin Neff
80. “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Jack Kornfield
Share these Quotes about Self Compassion and Kindness to Oneself and Others with your friends, family, and loved ones to inspire them as well.