This is for my fellow overly compassionate people. Being compassionate is a great strength, but it can also become your worst enemy. Here are struggles you endure simply because you are too compassionate:
1. You always see the best in people.
They may be the most terrible individual on the planet, but you still find the one good thing about them. You can't help but block out the bad and focus on the good. Other people criticize you and try to persuade you into believing the worst about that person. But you do not listen and keep a tight grip on the one good part of that person you found.
2. You constantly get hurt by others.
When the bad side of individuals comes out to play, you are blindsided. Their hurtful words cut deep. Their actions, the ones that went against everything you believed them to be, leave you scarred emotionally. You endure the pain silently, not wanting to burden others with your problems.
3. The chances you give out are endless.
No matter what happens, you always forgive them. You give them a second chance, because you still choose to believe in the good you once saw in them. When they mess up again and come apologizing, you give them another chance...again...and again.
4. People take advantage of you.
People use you to get what they want. Once they see you give out more than just one chance, they will continue to hurt you and make mistakes. Your forgiveness is taken for granted. You are taken for granted. They choose to see you as a temporary person in there lives, and they treat you as such.
5. You cry during sappy or sad moments in movies and books.
You are so compassionate that you even sympathize with fictional characters. The girl finally gets the boy? Tears. The dearly loved family dog passes away? Sobbing.
6. You think of other people's feelings when making decisions.
You think of how your decision will impact those around you. Your decision will most likely reflect this instead of what you actually desire. You would rather push your wants aside than let your decision impact others negatively.
7. You can tell when something is wrong with someone.
Call it a gut feeling or an instinct, but you always know when something is wrong. The way they talk, the way they text, the way their body posture is. Something is up, and you are determined to get to the bottom of it.
8. You are drawn toward people with problems.
You want to help others. You see someone with a problem, and you gravitate towards them, wanting nothing more than to fix it for them.
9. You love with all your heart.
Whether friendships or relationships, you love with everything you have. You put so much effort and time towards that one person. Some people cannot handle this and leave. When they do, they take a piece of you with them. You are left slightly emptier than you were before you met them.
10. Your heart breaks for those you don't even know.
You hear awful stories from around the world and you feel so much compassion for those individuals. Starving children, orphans, towns hit by natural disasters. The list is endless.
11. You blame yourself when things go wrong.
You always blame yourself, even when things were out of your control. You think of all the ways you could have done things differently or how you could have changed the outcome. Especially in relationships, you would rather blame yourself than blame them. You care too much about them to find them at fault.
12. You would rather teach someone than criticize them.
If someone doesn't understand something, you feel bad for them. You want to teach them the right way to do something or the right facts. You don't feel the need to critique them harshly for learning the wrong thing.
13. The moon is your best friend.
You spend endless nights staying up late, making plans on how to better the world, and contemplating how to help other people.
Being too compassionate comes at a cost, but the cost is well worth it.
