Compassion is the basis of all morality.

—Arthur Schopenhauer

kindness morality compassion

About Arthur Schopenhauer

Portrait of Arthur Schopenhauer

Arthur Schopenhauer (22 February 1788 – 21 September 1860), also known as the “Philosopher of Pessimism”, was a German philosopher and writer. He is known for his 1818 work The World as Will and Representation (expanded in 1844), which characterizes the phenomenal world as the manifestation of a blind and...

More quotations from Arthur Schopenhauer

Every person takes the limits of their own field of vision for the limits of the world.

—Arthur Schopenhauer

wonder imagination limits

Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed.

—Arthur Schopenhauer

Great men are like eagles, and build their nest on some lofty solitude.

—Arthur Schopenhauer

solitude greatness eagles

The man who sees two or three generations is like one who sits in the conjuror's booth at a fair and sees the tricks two or three times. They are meant to be seen only once.

—Arthur Schopenhauer

wisdom perception generations age deception observation

"Every nation ridicules other nations, and all are right.

—Arthur Schopenhauer

nations ridicule nationalism

More quotations tagged with “compassion”

In 1941 Sergeant James Allen Ward was awarded the Victoria Cross for climbing out onto the wing of his Wellington bomber at thirteen thousand feet to extinguish a fire in the starboard engine. Secured only by a rope around his waist, he smothered the fire and returned along the wing to the aircraft's cabin. Winston Churchill, an admirer of swashbuckling exploits, summoned the shy New Zealander to 10 Downing Street. Struck dumb with awe in Churchill's presence, Ward was unable to answer the prime minister's questions. Churchill surveyed the unhappy hero with some compassion. "You must feel very humble and awkward in my presence," he said.
"Yes, sir," managed Ward.
"Then you can imagine how humble and awkward I feel in yours," said Churchill.

—The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes

war heroism humility compassion fire awe awkwardness

You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself. I don't say this as a condemnation—I need regular reminders to stop feeling sorry for myself too. I'm going to address you bluntly, but it's a directness that rises from my compassion for you, not my judgement of you. Nobody's going to do your life for you. You have to do it yourself, whether you're rich or poor, out of money or raking it in, the beneficiary of ridiculous fortune or terrible injustice. And you have to do it no matter what is true. No matter what is hard. No matter what unjust, sad, sucky things have befallen you. Self-pity is a dead-end road. You make the choice to drive down it. It's up to you to decide to stay parked there or to turn around and drive out.

—Cheryl Strayed in Tiny Beautiful Things

life judgement money compassion self-pity

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

humanity presence relationship compassion equality darkness healer wounded similarity

What value has compassion that does not take its object in its arms?

—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

love compassion value

The only reason that we don't open our hearts and minds to other people is that they trigger confusion in us that we don't feel brave enough or sane enough to deal with. To the degree that we look clearly and compassionately at ourselves, we feel confident and fearless about looking into someone else's eyes.

—Pema Chödrön

others clear-seeing perspective hearts compassion eyes confidence fearlessness sanity confusion minds

History

11 Jul 2015 Added