Compassion is a social feeling that motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental, or emotional pains of others and themselves. Compassion is sensitivity to the emotional aspects of the suffering of others. When based on notions such as fairness, justice, and interdependence, it may be considered partially rational in nature.
Hugging is a common display of compassion
Compassion in action: an 18th-century Italian depiction of the Parable of the Good Samaritan
A 1930s photograph of a desert traveler seeking the assistance of Allah the Merciful, the Compassionate
Avalokiteśvara looking out over the sea of suffering. China, Liao dynasty.
Empathy is generally described as the ability to take on another's perspective, to understand, feel, and possibly share and respond to their experience. There are more definitions of empathy that include but is not limited to social, cognitive, and emotional processes primarily concerned with understanding others. Often times, empathy is considered to be a broad term, and broken down into more specific concepts and types that include cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, somatic empathy, and spiritual empathy.
Hugging someone who is hurt is a signal of empathy.
Understanding another's view
