We seek to understand each other, and embrace the traits we share. By seeing ourselves as united with those around us at every scale imaginable, we recognize that our neighbors’ successes and losses are our successes and losses. We are motivated to build a better world around us because our connection to the world means we directly benefit from helping others. This is not a selfish anticipation of partitioned benefits, but a genuine belief that we are united with all scales of people; and of course we desire good things for our world, our nation, our community, our neighbors, our kindred. We do not shirk our responsibility to assist when tragedy strikes, and we do not seek to avoid loss by disassociating ourselves from people or peoples who are suffering. Instead, like all other aspects of areté, when our companions experience hardship or are lacking in some way, we see this as a light guiding our efforts towards improvement. We choose to feel with our fellow beings because we choose to feel for ourselves, and we recognize that we are connected to the world.
Compassion