Compassionate describes a person or action that shows deep care for others’ suffering and a wish to help. It often involves kindness, patience, and understanding.
From Late Latin *compassionalis*, based on *compassio* “fellow feeling, compassion.” It carries the sense of actively sharing in another’s suffering.
Being compassionate doesn’t mean you never feel annoyed or tired; it means you still choose to respond with care when you could turn away. In that sense, compassion is less a feeling and more a practiced habit.
Being 'compassionate' has often been expected of women and undervalued as a professional skill, while men in leadership have been rewarded for even minimal displays of compassion. This contributes to gendered expectations around care work.
Apply 'compassionate' to people of any gender; avoid using it to justify unequal expectations of emotional labor.
Women have modeled compassionate leadership in families, communities, and organizations, frequently without formal recognition or titles.
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