Pity

Pity means feeling for others, particularly feelings of sadness or sorrow. In a positive sense it means "sympathy" and "empathy". More commonly Pity is a negative judgement of others and their situation.[1] An example of pity is how most people feel about the homeless.[1] Pity and compassion are closely related words but have subtle differences. The difference is that compassion usually involves some commitment to help. Pity does not usually require any personal involvement.[2] Sometimes pity can also have feelings of contempt and dislike that go with it.[3] In a positive sense, and especially as practiced in many religions, it can involve feelings the person does not deserve what has happened to him or her.[3] In this case the person feeling pity feels sorry it happened.

References

  1. Aaron Ben-Zeév Ph.D.14 August 2010. "Do Not Pity Me". Psychology Today. Retrieved 17 September 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. David Konstan, Pity Transformed (London: Duckworth, 2001), pp. 21–22
  3. "Difference Between Pity and Compassion". Difference Between. Retrieved 17 September 2015.


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