Compassion & Forgiveness

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Compassion & Forgiveness Compassion & Forgiveness in The Great Gatsby The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again. Compassion & Forgiveness Ø Characters possess an infinite capacity to forgive. Ø Characters possess an infinite stubbornness not to forgive. Compassion & Forgiveness Ø Example: Daisy’s marriage vs. her love Compassion & Forgiveness Ø Examples: Tom’s cheating vs. Gatsby’s deceit Compassion & Forgiveness Ø Cause of much sadness in the novel Ø Characters taunted by the possibility of forgiveness only to lose out to another’s stubbornness. THESIS In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author illustrates the power of forgiveness to heal when offered and to destroy when denied. Question #1 What gets forgiven and what does not get forgiven in this novel? Why? Characters offer a limited forgiveness for actions. The limit to forgiveness occurs when perception fails to match reality. Evidence #1 Characters offer a limited forgiveness for actions. The limit to forgiveness occurs when perception fails to match reality. Gatsby began “denying everything, defending his name” but Daisy drew “further and further into herself.” Gatsby’s dream died but “fought on... struggling toward that lost voice,” the Daisy of his past. Question #2 Nick claims in the first page of the novel that he was told to never criticize. Is he compassionate towards Gatsby, or does he judge the man? Does this evolve over the course of the novel? In the beginning of the novel, Nick judges Gatsby harshly; however, his feelings evolve to include an enormous measure of compassion for Gatsby. Evidence #2 In the beginning of the novel, Nick judges Gatsby harshly; however, his feelings evolve to include an enormous measure of compassion for Gatsby. At Gatsby’s funeral, Nick is determined to “get somebody for him.” He feels distressed that no mourners plan to attend Gatsby’s funeral. .
Recommended publications
  • Emotional Intelligence: Empathy & Compassion
    Race, Mindfulness & Wise Action: A Focused Awareness & Emotionally Intelligent Approach to the Practice of Law, Attorney Presence & Well-Being A mindful series for the Twin Cities Diversity In Practice Community Mindfulness “Mindfulness is paying attention to what’s happening in the present moment, in the mind, body and external environment, with an Emotional Context Matters - attitude of kindness and curiosity.” Intelligence: Elevating awareness - Mindful Nation UK Report Emotional Intelligence Three levels of awareness: consists of 4 key skills Unconscious Bias (Dr. Daniel Goleman): • Awareness of Self • Awareness of Others ... is social stereotypes about certain 1. Self-Awareness • Awareness of Surroundings 2. Self-Management groups of people that individuals form 3. Social Awareness outside their own conscious awareness. 4. Relationship Management Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and these biases stem from one’s tendency to organize social worlds by categorizing. Decision-Making Empathy & - University of Califoria, San Francisco & Behavior: Compassion - Emotions are complex. They Disrupting Bias: Body Map show show up as Understand where physiological sensations in The ability to experience and emotions show up in the body in connection with understand what others feel your body and how complex network of activity while maintaining a clear they feel (e.g, in the brain. Increasing discernment about your own tingling, tightness, emotional awareness can and the other person’s openness, heat, help improve decision- feelings and perspectives. neutral, etc.). making and behavior. (Dr. Checking in with the Nummenmaa , Dr. Bechara Compassion is empathy in body periodically and Dr. Lisa Feldman action, adding to the helps enhance self- Barrett.) definition of empathy the awareness, decision- question, "what will truly making and behavior © 2020 Lucenscia LLC.
    [Show full text]
  • Creating Compassion and Connection in the Work Place
    16Journal of Systemic Therapies, Vol. 25, No. 1, 2006, pp. 16–36 O’Brien CREATING COMPASSION AND CONNECTION IN THE WORK PLACE PETER J. O’BRIEN, M.S.W. Foothills Medical Centre This article raises questions about what contributes to creating a com- passionate work environment and sustaining connections that are meaningful in relation to clients and colleagues. Concepts including burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization and counter- transference are examined, with attention to how they complicate the establishment of a compassionate work place. Factors are discussed which further influence the work environment and inhibit the creation of the desired culture. Individual and institutional steps are then sug- gested that can be taken to establish a preferred work environment. In particular, practices are considered within the workplace that com- bat some of the undesirable symptoms, or that lead to the acknowl- edgment of contributions to a healthy environment and which foster human connections. As I enjoyed a concert by the 60’s band the Turtles, I was struck by the sense of connection and joy communicated throughout the concert by the two lead singers. I wondered what factors contributed to their apprecia- tion for one another and what meaning they attach to their life work, span- ning some forty years of collaboration. The purpose of this paper is to first raise questions about what contrib- utes to creating a compassionate work environment and sustaining con- nections that are meaningful in the mental health context. A case example will illustrate some of the common challenges in health care. Then, an examination of factors in our culture and our work settings that compli- Address correspondence to Peter O’Brien, M.S.W.
    [Show full text]
  • How Compassion Became Painful
    Journal of Buddhist Studies, Vol. XIV, 2017 (Of-print) How Compassion Became Painful Bhikkhu AnālAyo Published by Centre for Buddhist Studies, Sri Lanka & The Buddha-Dharma Centre of Hong Kong EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS Ratna Handurukande Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, University of Peradeniya. Y karunadasa Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, University of Kelaniya Visiting Professor, The Buddha-Dharma Centre of Hong Kong. Oliver abeynayake Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka. Chandima Wijebandara Ph.D. Professor, University of Sri Jayawardhanapura. Sumanapala GalmanGoda Ph.D. Professor, University of Kelaniya. Academic Coordinator, Nāgānanda International Institute of Buddhist Studies, Sri Lanka. Toshiichi endo Ph.D. Associate Professor, Centre of Buddhist Studies The University of Hong Kong EDITOR Bhikkhu KL dHammajoti 法光 Director, The Buddha-Dharma Centre of Hong Kong. Chair Professor, School of Philosophy, Renmin University of China. CONTENTS Ānisaṃsa: Merit, Motivation and Material Culture 1 Peter Skilling The Buddha’s Eighteen Qualities (aṭṭhārasabuddhadhammā): The Pāli Commentarial Exposition 57 Toshiichi Endo How Compassion Became Painful 85 Bhikkhu AnālAyo Punabbhava and Jātisaṃsāra in Early Buddhism 115 G.A. SomaratnE Ancient and Modern Interpretations of the Pañcavimuttāyatana 139 Bhikkhu PāsādikA Trials and Tribulations in the Study of the Cult of Maitreya in Theravāda Buddhism 151 Dragomir dimitrov The Bāmiyān Prātimokṣasūtra: a “Buddhist Hybrid Text” 183 Bhikkhu ÑāṇAtusitA Mahāsāṅghika and Mahāyāna: Further Notes 227 Charles WillEmEn Yogācāra Refutation of Tritemporal Existence 235 KL dhammajoti AnālAyo: How Compassion Became Painful How Compassion Became Painful AnālAyo Introduction In this paper I explore how the cultivation of compassion, karuṇā, developed from involving a potentially joyful experience in early Buddhist thought to taking on a more painful tonality in later times.
    [Show full text]
  • Mindfulness and Compassion – from a Neuroscience Point of View
    Mindfulness and Compassion – from a neuroscience point of view Dr. Tamara Russell In the last decade there has been a growth of empirical evidence to support mindfulness- based approaches in the mental health setting (Williams & Kuyken, 2012). Following on from the success of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program to help those with chronic physical health ailments (Grossman et al., 2004), the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) protocol has been developed and evaluated in individuals with major depressive disorder (Williams & Kuyken, 2012). This protocol seems to be particularly helpful for those with recurrent depression who also have experience of childhood trauma (Williams et al., 2014). The MBCT protocol, with adaptations, has been tried with many other mental health clinical populations, with promising results from these early feasibility and acceptability studies (Hoffman et al., 2010). There is also a suggestion that this training is of benefit to staff (Shapiro et al, 2007) in a way that may secondarily benefit patients (Grepmair et al., 2007). Within the mindfulness training protocol, participants are encouraged to engage with mental and physical experience on a moment-by-moment basis. This requires attention training, as the mind typically wanders onto other things and especially so when emotions run high. Learning to tolerate emotions, spot mental habits of attachment and avoidance and learning to inhibit chains of thinking and train attention are the key tasks in mindfulness training. These processes recruit a network of brain regions related to attention (including the anterior cingulate cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), body awareness (somatosensory cortex, motor and pre-motor cortex) and emotion regulation (right anterior insula and limbic structures including the amygdala; Holzel et al., 2011).
    [Show full text]
  • Conciliatory Gestures Promote Forgiveness and Reduce Anger in Humans
    Conciliatory gestures promote forgiveness and reduce anger in humans Michael E. McCullougha,1, Eric J. Pedersena, Benjamin A. Tabaka,b, and Evan C. Cartera,c aDepartment of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124-0751; bDepartment of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563; and cDepartment of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108 Edited by Frans B. M. de Waal, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, and approved June 10, 2014 (received for review March 24, 2014) Conflict is an inevitable component of social life, and natural and/or engage in postconflict affiliative interaction with them, selection has exerted strong effects on many organisms to facilitate which animal behavioral researchers have labeled “reconcilia- victory in conflict and to deter conspecifics from imposing harms tion” (15–20). The relational model of aggression (21–23) posits upon them. Like many species, humans likely possess cognitive that the evolved function of reconciliation is to restore valuable systems whose function is to motivate revenge as a means of relationships. In support of this claim, the conciliatory gestures deterring individuals who have harmed them from harming them that one observes among nonhuman primates are such reliable again in the future. However, many social relationships often prologues to the restoration of positive interactions that research- “... retain value even after conflicts have occurred between inter- ers were recently able to write, the large body of evidence actants, so natural selection has very likely also endowed humans about conflict management in primates is essentially unanimous in showing that primates reconcile with their opponent after a with cognitive systems whose function is to motivate reconcilia- ..
    [Show full text]
  • Vulnerability, Empathy,And Compassion and Your Team During a Time of Change
    Vulnerability, Empathy,and Compassion and Your Team during a Time of Change healthy.iu.edu Objectives for this Lesson • To establish a foundation of what empathy, compassion, and vulnerability are. • To learn the benefits of infusing these 3 qualities into your team. • To develop a toolkit for how to build a team culture based in empathy, compassion, and vulnerability. healthy.iu.edu Vulnerability • Normalizing weaknesses and limitations • Asking for help is expected and welcomed • Permission to admit insecurities in order to face them and build trust Coyle, D. (2018). The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups. Bantam Books: New York, New York. healthy.iu.edu The Vulnerability Loop at Work • Person A sends a signal of vulnerability. • Person B detects this signal. • Person B responds by signaling their own vulnerability. • Person A detects this signal. • A norm is established; closeness and trust increase. Coyle, D. (2018). The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups. Bantam Books: New York, New York. healthy.iu.edu Benefits of Vulnerability • Increased trust • Problem-solving environment • Cooperation a well developed muscle Coyle, D. (2018). The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups. Bantam Books: New York, New York. healthy.iu.edu What is Empathy? Empathy occurs when one person vicariously experiences the feelings, perceptions, and thoughts of another Mortier, A. V., Vlerick, P., & Clays, E. (2016). Authentic leadership and thriving among nurses: The mediating role of empathy. Journal of Nursing Management, 24, 357–365. healthy.iu.edu What Empathy gets confused with... Sympathy • Feeling sorry for someone; not feeling with someone Redirection to avoid discomfort • “Look on the bright side…” • “At least you don’t…” The reflex to “fix it” • Rarely does a response make things better.
    [Show full text]
  • An Examination of the Process of Forgiveness
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Kentucky University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, Educational, School, and Counseling and Counseling Psychology Psychology 2011 AN EXAMINATION OF THE PROCESS OF FORGIVENESS AND THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG STATE FORGIVENESS, SELF- COMPASSION, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING EXPERIENCED BY BUDDHISTS IN THE UNITED STATES Masami Matsuyuki University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Matsuyuki, Masami, "AN EXAMINATION OF THE PROCESS OF FORGIVENESS AND THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG STATE FORGIVENESS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING EXPERIENCED BY BUDDHISTS IN THE UNITED STATES" (2011). Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology. 1. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/edp_etds/1 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained and attached hereto needed written permission statements(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine).
    [Show full text]
  • The Empathy Connection
    The Empathy Connection Creating Caring Communities through the Human-Animal Relationship The Doris Day Animal Foundation (DDAF) is a national nonprofit organization working to create caring communities. Thanks to a generous grant from the Claire Giannini Fund, we are pleased to present “The Empathy Connection,” a publication designed to help parents, teachers, and other adults instill the important skill of empathy in our youth. As a mother of two school-age children, president of the parent teacher’s association of a middle school, and as the Executive Director of the Doris Day Animal Foundation, I know how important empathy is in children’s development. Empathy is an important skill, related to success in many areas of development—social, academic, and personal. Learning how to respond empathetically is also the best antidote to violence, bullying, and other unwanted, aggressive behavior in children. The basic tenet of DDAF’s “creating caring communities” mission is that the protection of, and respect for, animals is closely linked to human welfare. The development of empathy is a case in point: one of the best—and probably one of the most enjoyable—ways to teach children empathy is through the human-animal relationship. The Doris Day Animal Foundation offers training workshops and materials designed to help professional and lay communities address the problem of violence and promote positive development in children, families, and communities. We do this by demonstrating how paying attention to the animal-human welfare link builds safer, more creative communities for all living creatures. We hope you will let us know how you used “The Empathy Connection,” or other DDAF materials.
    [Show full text]
  • Dissertation Clarifying the Construct of Compassion
    DISSERTATION CLARIFYING THE CONSTRUCT OF COMPASSION: ABILITY TO DOWNREGULATE EMOTION AS A POTENTIAL MEDIATOR BETWEEN EMPATHIC AROUSAL AND COMPASSION Submitted by Leslie A. Merriman Department of Psychology In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado Spring 2017 Doctoral Committee: Advisor: Kathryn Rickard Chris Allen Ernest Chavez Caridad Souza Copyright by Leslie A. Merriman 2017 All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT CLARIFYING THE CONSTRUCT OF COMPASSION: ABILITY TO DOWNREGULATE EMOTION AS A POTENTIAL MEDIATOR BETWEEN EMPATHIC AROUSAL AND COMPASSION The association between empathy and compassion was examined in a sample of Americans aged 35 to 86, using national survey and phone interview data, biological data, and neuropsychological data. Given the postulation that empathy is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for compassion to emerge, compassion is conceptualized here as an emergent process that is contingent upon empathic arousal. The degree to which an experience of empathic arousal translates into compassion is hypothesized to depend upon an individual's ability to downregulate the emotional response associated with empathic arousal, which is conceptualized as physiological upregulation in response to witnessing another's suffering. If this hypothesis is supported, then the ability to downregulate physiological processes associated with empathic arousal should mediate a positive association between the activation of empathic feelings and engagement with compassionate behavior. While empathic arousal was found to predict compassion, we were unable to infer that downregulation processes mediated the relationship. The results of this study present preliminary findings that may inform future work aiming to clarify the construct of compassion.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is Compassion? How Can It Bring Happiness and Build Resilience? by Brandel France De Bravo
    What is compassion? How can it bring happiness and build resilience? By Brandel France de Bravo Compassion is one of those words that no one is entirely sure about. What is it, and how is it different from empathy, pity, or plain-old kindness? I wasn’t really able to answer those questions either until I took an eight-week meditation course developed at Stanford University called Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT™). Dr. Kelly McGonigal, who helped create the curriculum and trained me to become a CCT teacher, says that compassion “is actually a human strength that …evolved to help you meet stress in a way that is good for you and good for others.” As a certified CCT teacher, one of the exercises I like to begin with is this: think of a time when someone showed you compassion or you behaved compassionately towards someone. How did you know it was compassion and not some other emotion? And, how did it feel in your body? Can you recollect any physical sensations that arose during that experience? If asked to recall an experience of compassion, I think of the time I lost my child in a crowd. This has happened to many parents at some point. The difference was this was in Mexico, at night, in the state with the highest per capita rate of kidnapping. We were in a church yard watching hundreds participate in a beautiful silent, candle-lit procession when my six-year-old daughter’s hand slipped from her father’s. “Oh, yes, we saw a little girl being led away, crying that she didn’t want to leave,” one woman told my husband, our entire frantic search carried out in whispers.
    [Show full text]
  • Reaching the Minds and Hearts of Those We Serve
    Connection Through Self-Compassion and Compassion for Others: Reaching the Minds and Hearts of Those We Serve Roseann Cervelli, MS, LACDC, CCS, CPS [email protected] 732-937-5437 Ext.122 Compassion, COVID 19 And the Year 2020: A New Threshold for Humanity Objectives • To analyze and explore how Mindful Self-Compassion serves as an antidote to apathy and disconnection in today’s world. • To define Mindful Self-Compassion and Compassion for Others as an approach to well-being, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. • To describe how Compassion Awareness can address meeting Basic Core Needs and healing Core Wounds • To explore the Neuroscience within Compassion Focused Therapy and Compassion Awareness. • To introduce and experience several Mindful Compassion Exercises and Practices What words come to mind when you hear or see the word "APATHY"? ⓘ Start presenting to display the poll results on this slide. What Is Apathy ? A feeling and/or attitude of indifference, unconcern, unresponsiveness, detachment, dispassion. An absence of interest or concern about emotional, social, spiritual, philosophical and/or physical life and the world. Why Apathy? To understand the part of us that Rarely is it good to run, but we are wants nothing to do with the full wiser, more present, more mature, necessities of work, of more understanding and more relationship, of loss, of seeing thoroughly human when we realize what is necessary, is to learn we can never flee from the need to humility, to cultivate self- run away. compassion and to sharpen that - David Whyte, Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and sense of humor essential to a Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words (2106) merciful perspective of both a self and another.
    [Show full text]
  • Forgiveness-Final508-08-29-2018.Pdf
    WHOLE HEALTH: INFORMATION FOR VETERANS Forgiveness Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and enables YOU to take charge of your health and well-being and live your life to the fullest. It starts with YOU. It is fueled by the power of knowing yourself and what will really work for you in your life. Once you have some ideas about this, your team can help you with the skills, support, and follow up you need to reach your goals. All resources provided in these handouts are reviewed by VHA clinicians and Veterans. No endorsement of any specific products is intended. Best wishes! https://www.va.gov/wholehealth/ Forgiveness Forgiveness Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than anything on which it is poured. —Mark Twain Why should I practice forgiveness? Any negative emotion you hold onto can become toxic. For example, when you are angry with someone and want to get even, those emotions harm your mind, body, and spirit. It also gives the person you feel wronged by power over you. Practicing forgiveness can help you let go of anger, sorrow, or other emotions that can harm you. Letting go of negative emotions is hard, and healing takes time. If you stick with it, forgiveness can also help you sleep better, give you more energy, and improve your overall mental health and satisfaction with life.1-5 What is forgiveness? There are many ways you could define forgiveness. In this handout, forgiveness means releasing anger and resentment toward someone or something that has hurt you.
    [Show full text]