In their recent Letter in TiCS [1], Vaish and Grossmann offer some thoughtful comments on our recent article, ‘A pattern theory of compassion’ [2]. They argue that the distinction we draw between compassion and sympathy is not as sharp as the distinction between compassion and empathy, and neither is it supported by empirical evidence. They focus on, and take issue with, what they regard as our ‘key’ or ‘primary’ distinction between compassion and sympathy, namely that compassion involves, but sympathy does not necessarily involve, the motivation to act prosocially to alleviate suffering.
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Dr. David Lowemann, M.Sc, Ph.D., is a co-founder of the Institute for the Future of Human Potential, where he leads the charge in pioneering Self-Enhancement Science for the Success of Society. With a keen interest in exploring the untapped potential of the human mind, Dr. Lowemann has dedicated his career to pushing the boundaries of human capabilities and understanding.
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