Britney Loses Custody of Children

[Duke]

I feel very sympathetic to anyone stuck in an unfortunate situation where their resources are limited to actually find help. In fact, this is one of the basis for the foundation of Lifesupporters.com.

In BS' case I don't feel that she's completely innocent nor do I feel that she was lured, coerced or pushed into what she's experiencing today. While it may be true that she may not have had the best role models to guide her along life's path, one cannot say that those doors were not open to her along the way.

There are millions of people in the world far worse off than she will ever be but does anyone here their cries?

[Meanon]

There you see - we do agree

EXCEPT that I think that caring/compassion/empathy - call it what you will - is a state of mind, an attitude, which has a powerful influence on those around the person who displays it and on the person themselves. Much like aggression, except it has a humanity enhancing rather than diminishing effect. There's no compassion competition, it's not something that, by giving it to one, means there is less for others.

I've ended up posting about something else: I felt sorry for Britney, fleetingly wished to give her (and Amy Winehouse)therapy , but I didn't care anywhere near as much as I do for the people with similar or worse problem that I see IRL. It's the lack of compassion and what I feel it says about us (the person who does or doesn't feel it) that interests me more than BS. I realised today that the reason it bothers me is because people who don't show compassion (towards others and self) usually haven't experienced it being expressed towards them. I do compassionate mind training with clients who have this problem. I guess I just hadn't realised it was so prevalent, that's what it is that I find sad - it's a reminder of how many lives are blighted by lack of warmth.

This isn't anything to do with anyone here, you all do care to greater or lesser degrees and as IR said, it doesn't really matter if you don't - it just got me thinking....

[Meanon]

..... STILL thinking and the result is the germ of an idea which I may explore using for uni. Wouldn't it be funny if a conversation here about Britney ended up in a thesis? I'd have to name you all in the credits . I have another idea too - not sure which way I will go yet.

[Luba]

Originally Posted by Meanon

..... STILL thinking and the result is the germ of an idea which I may explore using for uni. Wouldn't it be funny if a conversation here about Britney ended up in a thesis? I'd have to name you all in the credits . I have another idea too - not sure which way I will go yet.

Super!

[Duke]

Originally Posted by Meanon

..... STILL thinking and the result is the germ of an idea which I may explore using for uni. Wouldn't it be funny if a conversation here about Britney ended up in a thesis? I'd have to name you all in the credits . I have another idea too - not sure which way I will go yet.

If you develop anything that makes any sense, I'll post it on the news page and in the Wiki.

[Meanon]

Originally Posted by Duke

If you develop anything that makes any sense.....

Oh ye of little faith

meanon i understand what your saying, and perhaps i should of gone deeper into my own post what what i feel about it all.

Not at all GG. There's no need for you to get your knickers in a twist just because I have a bee in my bonnet about compassion.

(Can't resist educating the heathens on the Queen's English, though now I think of it maybe HM doesn't use these expressions )

[IR_Efrem]

This really is a much deeper subject than I comment on in a few words in a post.

I noticed you grouped compassion with empathy though I don't feel they are quite on the same level. It is possible to care and not empathize and I feel this is folly in our world today. This is hard for me to explain but I will try anyway. I do not feel that blind compassion does any good at all. How much compassion do ANY of us have for the convicted rapist or murderer.

Why don't you have compassion for them? ..........................

Those people obviously have an imbalance somewhere that caused them to do these things. It's easy for us to look from the outside in and even try to have compassion and feel bad for this person that has committed these god awful crimes, but what about the person that did this to a family member of yours?

Compassion is as complex as any other higher emotion and to be able to freely forgive and pour it out is a very difficult thing to do. There are many factors beyond compassion that will not allow a lot of people to show it very often: greed, lust, envy to name a few. How many of us here would feel bad for Bill Gates if he lost half his money? Why not? How many would feel bad for you if you lost half of everything you owned?

There is another side to this as well. I believe there are times with some folks just plain do not need compassion. When a person is capable of avoiding a bus hitting them smack in the face and they simply stand there insisting that the bus will stop. Well I simply cannot feel bad for that person for not sidestepping a little. Does this make me a bad person?

Brittney loosing her children was a bus about to hit her smack in the face. I can empathize but I cannot sympathize.