Compassion: when you feel it, and then do something about it
Compassion is the pull toward what other people are feeling. You cover a stranger's declined card, let a struggling friend stay another night, say I love you back so they are not left hanging. You notice pain and move toward it. In SENEKA, people whose choices lean this way most often get the archetype The Heart. People feel cared for around you. The hard part is that caring for everyone can quietly leave you running on empty.
What it looks like
- You give up your seat when someone looks more tired than you.
- You sit down next to a stranger who is crying instead of walking past.
- You call a loan a gift so a friend does not have to feel small.
What it competes with
Compassion most often competes with Boundaries in SENEKA's dilemmas. Giving what someone needs and protecting what you need are both forms of care, and many hard choices come down to which one gets priority today.
Dilemmas that measure Compassion
A friend cooks you a special dinner. It is honestly not good — and they ask what you think.
A friend asks to stay on your couch for a few days. It is now day six.
Early on, they say I love you. You are not there yet.
A friend owes you money neither of you mentions anymore. Their holiday photos just appeared in your feed.
Your friend's rent is due and short. You have it. Last time, paying them back took a year and cost the friendship something.
At the supermarket till, the stranger ahead of you has their card declined for a small amount.
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