compassion

Brain scans showed that while volunteers’ recognition of another person’s physical pain was immediate, compassion didn’t register for some seconds.

The poet’s, the writer’s, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. The poet’s voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail.

William Faulkner

I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.

Leo Rosten

Something appears to have gone wrong; a liberal and compassionate social policy has bred all sorts of unanticipated and perverse consequences.

Irving Kristol

But somebody with that much compassion could never be the killer we needed.

Orson Scott Card -- Ender’s Game

We talked about one of Morrie’s favorite subjects, compassion, and why our society had such a shortage of it.

Mitch Albom -- Tuesdays with Morrie

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In the past, I had seen her treat animals with more compassion than she did me.

Dave Pelzer -- A Child Called It

But as I was saying, it is a fact that John has compassion deep inside of him, which is the real reason we got involved with the Pigman.

Paul Zindel -- The Pigman

His brother is filled with compassion for him.

Alan Paton -- Cry, the Beloved Country

For HIM she felt much compassion;— for Lucy very little—

Jane Austen -- Sense and Sensibility

Mrs. Sparsit was resolved to have compassion on him, as a Victim.

Charles Dickens -- Hard Times

She thought often with wistful compassion of a wretched geranium that belonged to a town neighbor.

Sarah Jewett -- A White Heron

like me, the lady next door who scowls on her way to the mailbox, or the kids who strut down the street, or my atheist friend who enjoys a good conversation, each bear an undying soul and deserve compassion.

Jay Allison, et al. -- This I Believe

Calpurnia was watching her, and in Calpurnia’s eyes was no hint of compassion.

Harper Lee -- Go Set a Watchman

Because I spent the first six years of my life with Tribesmen who taught me mercy and compassion instead of brutality and hatred?

Sabaa Tahir -- An Ember in the Ashes

About how the Flare destroyed your brain, slowly driving you insane and stripping you of the capacity to feel basic human emotions like compassion or empathy.

James Dashner -- The Scorch Trials

She knows—she sees—how often compassion takes a back seat to expediency.

Neal Shusterman -- Unwind

"Next time just explain yourself instead of getting all snippy," Minho said, his voice empty of compassion.

James Dashner -- The Death Cure

Maxon at least had the capacity for compassion.

Kiera Cass -- The Elite

He seems to have more compassion for his people.

Kiera Cass -- The One

Ty had lectured them rather extensively on it, but Emma found that now, with the Consul’s compassionate dark gaze on her, she couldn’t find words.

Cassandra Clare -- City of Heavenly Fire

A look of compassion came across Alec’s face, something Mark hadn’t seen often.

James Dashner -- The Kill Order

People don’t like to know that three quarters of their tampon strings are being buried, or that their paychecks have less to do with their company’s profitability than its owner’s compassion.

John Green -- An Abundance of Katherines

Is this the Others’ ultimate goal, the wave to end all waves, stripping our humanity down to its bare, animalistic bones, until we’re nothing but soulless predators doing their dirty work for them, as solitary as sharks and with as much compassion?

Rick Yancey -- The 5th Wave

I didn’t know which was worse: ice maiden Ringer or compassionate queen Ringer.

Rick Yancey -- The Infinite Sea

She knew he was compassionate, and very kind, even though his limited horizons had been exasperating.

Dave Eggers -- The Circle

But also those close to him say he is a compassionate man.

Malala Yousafzai -- I Am Malala

"If even outcasts and downtrodden folk like yourselves can’t muster a bit of compassion for others," she said, "then there’s no hope for this world."

Ransom Riggs -- Hollow City

If you fell into that "other" category—Native American, Asian, Middle Eastern—then you got a patchwork welcome committee of the kindest and most compassionate women from the dominant tribes.

Piper Kerman -- Orange Is the New Black

I didn’t expect him to be compassionate or generous.

Bryan Stevenson -- Just Mercy

He felt a surge of compassion for her and found himself nodding, just to let her know he was paying attention.

Nicholas Sparks -- The Choice

Being true friends they gave me sensible advice and compassionate sympathy in roughly equal amounts.

Patrick Rothfuss -- The Name of the Wind

If you have any compassion you will help me.

Chang-rae Lee -- A Gesture Life

She would be compassionate to the character of children but tended to avoid holding them on her lap.

Michael Ondaatje -- Running in the Family

It’d been so long since anyone but Thalia—her former cell mate and her only friend in the world—had shown her compassion.

Kass Morgan -- The 100

Respect and admiration, compassion and concern.

Marissa Meyer -- Cinder

I took six months’ compassionate leave from work and there was still not enough of it.

Jojo Moyes -- Me Before You

Sally Jackson possessed just the right combination of compassion, strength, and beauty.

Rick Riordan -- The Trials of Apollo

The new leather gloves, gloves Estelle hadn’t yet worn, they gave to Irene for the compassion she’d shown Ben since the crash.

Judy Blume -- In the Unlikely Event

And how could he someday rule a country whose soldiers had been trained to have so little compassion for human life?

Sarah J. Maas -- Throne of Glass

Because of her — her suitcase and her story — thousands of Japanese children were learning about what George believed to be the most important values in the world: tolerance, respect, and compassion.

Karen Levine -- Hana’s Suitcase

But our faces, grim behind the light Stacey held, showed no compassion.

Mildred D. Taylor -- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

When I think of all his many actions as a rescuer, big and small, it is this one act that first comes to mind; I think perhaps because it demonstrates such extraordinary compassion.

Leon Leyson -- The Boy on the Wooden Box

He lacked true compassion and he had no stomach for their health problems.

Holly Goldberg Sloan -- Counting by 7s

It’d give him some compassion for his clients?’

Scott Pratt -- An Innocent Client

Oh, it wasn’t only the disadvantaged who needed compassion!

Anne Tayler -- A Spool of Blue Thread