Simply learning about compassion does not necessarily increase compassionate behavior. In the arc from empathizing with someone suffering to actually reaching out to help, loving-kindness/compassion meditation ups the odds of helping. There are three forms of empathy—cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and empathic concern. Often people empathize emotionally with someone’s suffering but then tune out to soothe their own uncomfortable feelings. But compassion meditation enhances empathic concern, activates circuits for good feelings and love, as well as circuits that register the suffering of
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