Charlotte Center For Mindfulness // Podcasts
Jul 23, 2026 · 0 min · 5 segments
What happens when we feel like we are being told that we “should” be compassionate even towards people we find the most challenging– whether someone in our personal life or in the world? If we…
I'm so interested in that moment, is when we really pay attention to that moment, we can feel biologically, physiologically, that there is a different kind of knowing available to life.
that is not what our cultural culture, our families of origin, our histories, all of that teach us.
That, you know, it's it's a fight out there and you either fight or you're going to be smashed.
That other story is so strong that it's really normal when the idea of compassion comes up that sometimes we're not even sure if that is ethically right to feel compassion for people who do tremendously horrible harmful things Is it even ethically right to feel compassion in those situations? This came up in one of our groups last night, and the confusion that I think is really not uncommon, and I've certainly struggled with it at times myself, that wants to say, yes, I can understand being compassionate for this, but not that.
Like, that's too much.
That's too wrong.
And I am going on unhealthy ground if I start thinking about What does it mean to be compassionate for this? I've shared this story from Sharon Salzberg before, and this is, I think, a great reminder of how we can confuse kindness, compassion for being good and being nice in a saccharine sort of way.
I'm so interested in that moment, is when we really pay attention to that moment, we can feel biologically, physiologically, that there is a different kind of knowing available to life.
that is not what our cultural culture, our families of origin, our histories, all of that teach us.
That, you know, it's it's a fight out there and you either fight or you're going to be smashed.
That other story is so strong that it's really normal when the idea of compassion comes up that sometimes we're not even sure if that is ethically right to feel compassion for people who do tremendously horrible harmful things Is it even ethically right to feel compassion in those situations? This came up in one of our groups last night, and the confusion that I think is really not uncommon, and I've certainly struggled with it at times myself, that wants to say, yes, I can understand being compassionate for this, but not that.
Like, that's too much.
That's too wrong.
And I am going on unhealthy ground if I start thinking about What does it mean to be compassionate for this? I've shared this story from Sharon Salzberg before, and this is, I think, a great reminder of how we can confuse kindness, compassion for being good and being nice in a saccharine sort of way.
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