Mark Greenberg: Does Kindness Equal Compassion?

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Some people use the terms kindness and compassion interchangeably but there is a distinct and important difference. Dr. Mark Greenberg, founding director of Penn State University's[1] Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development, explains how adding the variable of 'wisdom' elevates a kind act to one of compassion.

The Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Penn State University pursues longitudinal, developmental research on risk and protective factors.

  • Secure and Calm

    Secure and calm describes the ability to take part in daily activities and approach new situations without being overwhelmed with worries, sadness or anxiety. To be secure and calm also means being able to cope with stress and pressure, and to bounce back from difficulties.
  • Gets Along with Others

    Getting along with others is the ability to form positive and healthy relationships with peers and adults. Children with better abilities to regulate their emotions and behaviours have more friends and experience more positive playtime with their peers.
  • Alert and Engaged

    Being alert and engaged is the ability to manage and direct one's own feelings, thoughts and emotions. In general, the ability to be 'present' and to exercise self-control.
  • Compassionate and Kind

    Being compassionate and kind is closely related to empathy. While empathy refers more generally to the ability to take the perspective of and to feel the emotions of another person, compassion goes one step further.
  • Solves Problems Peacefully

    Managing conflict effectively is about creating an atmosphere where violence and aggression are not likely. To resolve conflict means using empathy, problem-solving skills, understanding other points of view and coming up with ways to make things right in a fair way.