You can’t really share someone else’s weakness, or fear or pain. What you feel may be bad. It might conceivably be as bad as what the other felt, though I should distrust anyone who claimed that it was. But it would still be quite
...more
“I found it extremely heartening to see all those donations pour into this young man who has too often been neglected and ignored by society. It reminded me that when we know about suffering, when we are proximal to it, we are capable of extraordinary generosity. We can do so much for each other - but only when we see one another in our full humanity, not as statistics or problems, but as people who deserve to be alive in the world.”
― Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection
― Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection
“I was quite stuck by the Dali Lama's phrase of "passing through difficulties." We often feel that suffering will engulf us, it that suffering will never end, but if we can realize that it, too, will pass, or as the Buddhists say, that it is impermanent, we can survive them more easily, and perhaps what we have to learn from them, find meaning in then, so that we come out the other side, not embittered but emboldened. The depth of our suffering can also result in the height of our joy.”
―
―
“In contrast to empathy, compassion does not mean sharing the suffering of the other: rather, it is characterized by feelings of warmth, concern and care for the other, as well as a strong motivation to improve the other's well-being. Compassion is feeling for and not feeling with the other”
― Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion
― Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion
“Similarly, there is debate about the term and diagnosis “premenstrual dysphoric disorder” (PMDD), which is used to describe a severe form of premenstrual depression. Some critics argue that the term, created by the American Psychiatric Association in 1993, pathologizes menstrual changes by giving women the label of a specific psychiatric “disorder,” and reinforces the idea that women are “crazy” once a month and should not be in positions involving great authority or stress.”
― Our Bodies, Ourselves
― Our Bodies, Ourselves
“I promise that he following sentences are not a joke. I especially want to say this to artists: I'm improbably successful in the comedy world. You don't know the full scope of it, but it's almost unimaginable. I'm not telling you to brag. I'm saying it because I'm really not special. I wasn't chosen, and I didn't have a team of tastemakers behind me making my dreams happen. I made them happen, and you can make yours happen too. I mean it. If you're a comedian, writer, actor, painter, director, dancer, or any other type of artist, you can make your dreams happen. You can have the career and the life that you dream of. The only thing I did was believe I could do it, and I took action. You must do the same. You have to know you are meant to do your craft and you have to act. You have to write, dance, paint, get onstage, express yourself however you feel compelled to, and you have to take a chance on yourself. I recorded my own album, submitted for what was available, and started my own podcase. I'm not special, but I didn't wait for something to happen. I took calculated risks, and you can and should do the same. Make the life you want happen for yourself because you really can.”
― I'd Like to Play Alone, Please: Essays
― I'd Like to Play Alone, Please: Essays
Exploring Psychology & Neuroscience
— 304 members
— last activity Jan 07, 2026 03:02PM
The following open group is for students, professionals, and those intrigued by the field of psychology, neuroscience and the obscurity of the human m ...more
Gina’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Gina’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Biography, Fiction, Horror, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Psychology, Science, Self help, Suspense, Thriller, Travel, and Young-adult
Polls voted on by Gina
Lists liked by Gina

































