No one should approach the temple of science with the soul of a money changer.
Thomas BrowneRead
By compassion we make others' misery our own, and so, by relieving them, we relieve ourselves also.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Compassion connects us to others' suffering, and by helping them, we also find relief for ourselves.
This quote by Thomas Browne emphasizes the interconnectedness of human experiences, particularly suffering and compassion. It suggests that when we empathize with the pain of others and take action to alleviate their misery, we not only contribute to their healing but also experience a sense of relief and fulfillment in our own lives, highlighting the mutual benefit of compassion.
Themes
CompassionSufferingReliefEmpathyKindness
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a charity event to inspire volunteers.
More from Thomas Browne
All quotes βContent may dwell in all stations. To be low but above contempt may be high enough to be happy.
Thomas BrowneRead
Thus there are two books from whence I collect my Divinity; besides that written one of God, another of his servant Nature, that universal and public Manuscript, that lies expans'd unto the eyes of all; those that never saw him in the one, have discovered him in the other.
Thomas BrowneRead
To be content with death may be better than to desire it.
Thomas BrowneRead
Life itself is but the shadow of death, and souls departed but the shadows of the living.
Thomas BrowneRead
The long habit of living indisposeth us for dying.
Thomas BrowneRead
Similar quotes
The root of compassion is not empathy; that is kindness. Kindness is great, but it is not the ultimate compassion. Ultimate compassion relieves the suffering that comes from separateness. The suffering that comes from separateness is relieved only when you are fully present with another person, not when you are separately present.
Ram DassRead
I entrust this Twenty-second World Day of the Sick to the intercession of Mary. I ask her to help the sick to bear their sufferings in fellowship with Jesus Christ and to support all those who care for them. To all the ill, and to all the health-care workers and volunteers who assist them, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.
Pope FrancisRead
For arousing compassion, the nineteenth-century yogi Patrul Rinpoche suggested imagining beings in torment - an animal about to be slaughtered, a person awaiting execution. To make it more immediate, he recommended imagining ourselves in their place. Particularly painful is his image of a mother with no arms watching as a raging river sweeps her child away. To contact the suffering of another being fully and directly is as painful as being in the woman's shoes.
Pema ChodronRead
There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark.
Helen KellerRead
One does not ask of one who suffers: What is your country and what is your religion? One merely says: You suffer, that is enough for me.
Louis PasteurRead
Kindness is gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us.
Henri Frederic AmielRead