To be compassionate is, if we take the word to bits, to suffer with another, to feel their suffering almost as if it is our own. So someone can work hard to relieve suffering, and be highly skilled in doing so, without thereby exhibiting compassion - they could simply be doing their job and enjoying its challenges. They show compassion only if their efforts to relieve suffering arise from and express a fellow feeling and sympathy. Now, we all want to be looked after by skilled professionals, but we would also like to be treated not only with professionalism, but compassion too because another's sympathy does something to comfort and console me, even when, or perhaps especially when, there is nothing left for professionalism to do.
什么叫做富有同情心，如果我们说的详细点，就是有难同当，感同身受。有些人会很尽力的缓解别人的痛苦，而且技艺高超，但看不到什么同情心的存在，他们只是单纯在工作，并享受工作带来的挑战。只有当他们缓解痛苦的努力源于同感或者怜悯时，他们才会展示出同情心。现在，我们都希望能够由专业人士来治疗自己，但我们也希望在享受专业治疗的同时也得到同情心，因为他人的同情和怜悯在专业技能无计可施时更能给我安抚和慰籍。
