The pattern theory of compassion.
Shaun Gallagher, Antonino Raffone, Salvatore M. Aglioti
Trends in Cognitive Sciences May 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.04.005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes that compassion is a specific dynamic pattern of physiological, cognitive, affective, relational, and motivational factors, distinct from empathy and sympathy. |
Abstract
Concepts of empathy, sympathy and compassion are often confused in a variety of literatures. This article proposes a pattern-theoretic approach to distinguishing compassion from empathy and sympathy. Drawing on psychology, Western philosophy, affective neuroscience, and contemplative science, we clarify the nature of compassion as a specific pattern of dynamically related factors that include physiological, cognitive, and affective processes, relational/intersubjective processes, and motivational/action tendencies. We also show that the dynamic nature of the compassion pattern is reflected in neuroscientific findings, as well as in compassion practice. The pattern theory of compassion allows us to make several clear distinctions between compassion, empathy, and sympathy.
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