Delving into the concept of the far and near enemies of compassion, this chapter discusses the balance between tenderness and action, love and suffering, and the ability to effect change. It highlights the challenges of emotional reactivity and complacency as near enemies that can mask true compassion, emphasizing the importance of mindfulness, common humanity, and self-kindness in fostering genuine compassion.
I’ve been waiting my whole life to talk to Chris Germer. He is a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and he co-developed the Mindful Self-Compassion program with Kristin Neff, which has been taught to 200,000 people worldwide. I recently read an article written by Chris called “The Near and Far Enemies of Fierce Compassion,” and as soon as I read it, I said, “Put him on the podcast list. I’ve gotta talk to him.”
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices