compassion
Compassion is the act of opening the door to suffering, luxuriating in another’s misery, then whimsically offering a single drop of relief. Overuse emits the fragrant aroma of self-congratulation and is often dismissed as mere performative empathy. Though claimed to resonate with sorrow, it is frequently discarded in cold cost-benefit analyses. At its core, it serves as propaganda for the ego’s expansion. By displaying compassion, one advertises their own virtue while instilling reluctance and guilt in its recipient.