I suspect that many people view Stoic compas- sion as an oxymoron. Because the Stoics empha- sized apatheia —which in Greek meant freedom from irrational, reactive passions rather than a lack of care—many assume the Stoic is a stone statue, unmoved by the suffering of others. As William C. Spears notes in Stoicism as a Warrior Philosophy, Stoicism is not about being "void of feeling" but about the "discipline of judgment." Stoic compassion is a disciplined, active form of care rooted in the belief that all human beings share a common spark of reason.

The Stoics believed that as we mature, we should expand our circle of concern from our- selves to our family, then to our neighbours, and eventually to the entire human race. The goal is to pull the outer circles inward, treating a stranger like a cousin and a cousin like a brother.

The discipline of the heart

To a Stoic, pity is often seen as a "sickness of the soul" because it involves the belief that what has happened to another person is a "terrible evil" that has destroyed their worth. If you see a friend suffer and you fall into a deep depression alongside them, you have simply doubled the amount of misery in the world.

When you see anyone weeping in grief... take care that the error may not corrupt you. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 8.51

Stoics were careful not to let distress break their ability to think clearly. A surgeon who breaks into tears whenever they see a patient in distress cannot be very helpful to the patient. But a sur- geon who remains calm but cares enough to act effectively does not allow the emotion to cloud their ability to distinguish what is in their control from what is not. It is like putting on your oxy- gen mask first before helping your child.

Kindness as a natural duty

Stoics believed that humans are "social animals" designed by nature for cooperation.

For what is a man? A part of a state; first the state of gods and men; then of that which is called next to it, which is a small image of the universal state. - Epictetus, Discourses, 2.10

A Stoic helps others not because they feel a fleeting pang of emotion, but because it is their duty as a human being. If a healthcare worker's kindness depends on "feeling" the pain of every patient, they will eventually burn out. But if it is based on the principle that we are all connected, then our compas- sion becomes an inexhaustible resource. This is the Stoic view.

Forgiveness and the "error" of others

When someone tries to "hurt" you, the Stoic response is compassion. The Stoic believes that the other person is blind to the truth— acting out of a mistaken belief about what is good.

The man who does wrong, does wrong to himself... for he makes himself bad - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 9.4

This shift from "they are evil" to "they are mistaken" is a profound act of compassion that preserves our own peace of mind while preventing the cycle of conflict.

Compassion as a natural Stoic response

The Stoic does not wait for a "feeling" to strike; they look for ways to be useful.

Always ready to do good, and to think that he has received a benefit when he has given one. - Seneca, De Beneficiis, 2.10

Stoics were cosmopolitans and their con- cern extended to everyone in the cosmos. In this sense, compassion is a way of life to a Stoic.

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