In reading Mariann Jelinek's comments on compassion, I was struck with the
thought that perhaps compassion comes more readily when we see anothers
experience and issues _as our own_ in a certain way. In other words, to
step outside of our "self-centered" perspective to acknowledge the
essential _unity_ of anothers reality and experience with our own. That
coupled with the awareness that this "reality" is but one of many or one
level of an even larger context of " reality" allows us to identify with
the _experience_ of the other while retaining an essential equanimity and
balance that keeps us from interfering in that experience inappropriately.
Confusing enough??
Tobin
quereau@austin.cc.tx.us
On Mon, 17 Apr 1995, Mariann Jelinek wrote:
> Marilyn wrote:
>
> [snip]
> >
> >Data in context = Information
> >Information in context = Knowledge
> >Knowledge in context = Wisdom
> >
> >What I was trying to get at was that, applying Bateson levels of learning,
> >a thing is made meaningful by understanding the context in which it
> >resides. If you are willing to go along with this premise, what does this
> >suggest about what compassion is?
> >
> Perhaps compassion is understanding in multiple contexts, beyond
> our own? Or multiple contexts? It seems to me that compassion involves
> being able to empathize with someone with whom one doesn't necessarily
> agree - an OTHER, whose problems are not my own. To see those as
> "problems," since they don't affect me, it would seem I must supply a
> context beyond my usual, self-centered one.
>
> MXJELI@MAIL.WM.EDU
> Mariann Jelinek
> Richard C. Kraemer Professor of Business
> Graduate School of Business,
> College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
>
> Tel. (804) 221-2882 FAX: (804) 229-6135
>
>