Defining Terms
Because the definition of words are often oversimplified or without consensus, the following are definitions of our primary terms as they will be used consistently and precisely across this platform.
Compassion
The definition we are using is a consolidation of existing uses and is explained in full depth here.
Our general use of compassion is defined by consisting of the following five elements:
Recognizing suffering
Understanding the universality of suffering in human experience
Feeling empathy for the person(s) suffering and connecting with the distress (emotional resonance)
Tolerating uncomfortable feelings aroused in response to the suffering person (e.g. distress, anger, fear) so remaining open to and accepting of the person(s) suffering
Motivation to act/acting to alleviate suffering
Pain & Suffering
These two words are frequently used interchangeably. However, for the sake of this platform which is explicitly an effort to subdue suffering, their distinctions must be made clear and the words used precisely throughout.
After reviewing a plethora of material referencing these terms — from empirical sciences, religion, arts, sociology, and all that surrounds — we found the definitions in this analysis most inclusive, detailed, and useful. Starting with those definitions as a base, we’ve altered them slightly to include more specifics from our review of the terms.
Pain
Pain is an experience originating from sense perception and/or top-down (not prompted by any noticeable internal or external stimulus) mental content accompanied by additional mental content with themes of resistance, noting that the experience is somehow abominable and to be urgently escaped.
Suffering
Suffering is conscious endurance of pain over time, accompanied by mental content projecting the pain into the future, noting that the remedy for the pain is unknown and/or unattainable.
