Many people are already tired of the selfishness and anger that reign in the world. Every day the news reports new atrocities, and they cause serious doubts about the ability of a person to show kindness and care for anyone other than himself. However, there are stories of people who, through their actions, set an example of kindness and compassion.
Mother Teresa's work
In 1999, on the threshold of the new millennium, Americans voted to recognize Mother Teresa as the most revered person of the century. And according to a CNN poll, she was more admired than Martin Luther King, John Kennedy, Albert Einstein and Helen Keller.
What makes her so special?
Mother Teresa, born Agnez Gonce Bojaxhiu and called the Angel of Mercy, was a missionary and nun of the Roman Catholic Church who dedicated her entire life to helping others. Today, when people think of saints, they usually think of Mother Teresa.
Mother Teresa
In 1950, Mother Teresa founded the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, whose main task was to care for the sick, homeless and helpless. In 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. However, one highly controversial study conducted in 2013 suggested that Mother Teresa's reputation and saintliness may be somewhat exaggerated. She truly dedicated her life to helping others, but her homes for the dying sometimes could offer nothing more than prayer to alleviate suffering.
Mother Teresa died in 1997.
Examples of mercy of famous people
Anyone, even the most “prickly” and closed person, needs sympathy and support. You can pass by. But a merciful citizen will definitely notice someone else’s pain and try to help. You will probably be surprised, but this was not always the case, and the poet Mikhail Svetlov even apologized for his pity for old women, considering this character trait a flaw.
A brief excursion into the history of the concept and phenomenon of “mercy”
The harshness of rulers of all times is known to everyone. To retain the throne, the crown bearers acted on the principle “The end justifies the means” and did not hesitate to give orders for the destruction of people.
The period of change of power from monarchy to Soviet, followed by dispossession and fratricidal wars, completely knocked out the concept of “mercy” from people. As a phenomenon, only nurses and a few from the general crowd showed compassion. Showing “mercy to the fallen” was not accepted and even risky. Remember the common phrases: “You don’t need to feel sorry for us! After all, we wouldn’t spare anyone either.”
However, with the advent of a peaceful, prosperous life, feeling sorry for the elderly, helping the weak and sick, welcoming homeless children became the norm, mercy was rehabilitated and began to gain “social weight.”
Now there are more and more people ready to do godly deeds. Look how volunteer teams are multiplying, how many people want to help people in trouble! But what motivates “celebrities” and world-famous personalities when they show mercy?
Celebrities establish charitable foundations and participate in philanthropic events. Many artists, musicians, scientists, and politicians do not stand aside from the victims of serious illnesses, natural disasters and wars. Public figures do not spare personal capital, transferring powerful fees to funds to support cancer patients, visiting “sunny” children in clinics, and financially helping underdeveloped countries get back on their feet.
In this article we will talk about the compassionate actions of some famous (and not so famous) personalities who do not forget about the suffering and call on other “stars” to show philanthropy.
"Project Linus"
Project Linus is a non-profit organization that distributes blankets and homemade quilts to sick or injured infants, children and teens in hospitals, shelters, social service organizations and charities. The goal is simple: to give people a sense of security and comfort when they need it most.
Project Linus has local leaders in each state and volunteers called "blanketeers".
For example, in Fayette County, Georgia, volunteers have sewn, crocheted, and then distributed 1,155 blankets to local children since 2010, and in 2012 they sent 147 hand-sewn blankets to children affected by Hurricane Sandy. .
Arguments from literature
- (38 words) In Pushkin’s novel “The Captain’s Daughter,” Peter acted nobly when he gave his sheepskin coat to Pugachev. Grinev disregarded class barriers and helped the common man without demanding anything in return. This is where the true nobility of the soul is expressed. Respecting him, the chieftain even spared the enemy.
- (50 words) In Kuprin’s work “The Wonderful Doctor,” the hero saved strangers from death in a damp basement. He gave them free medicine and left money on the table, even though they didn’t ask him for anything. I see nobility in his action, because Pirogov helped the Mertsalov family free of charge and voluntarily, without expecting praise.
- (57 words) In Kuprin’s work “The Duel,” Romashov was truly noble towards Shurochka. He agreed not to shoot her husband in a duel because of only one request from a woman who was parting with him forever. He paid for this quality, receiving a mortal wound from a treacherous enemy. However, his example still inspires me to meet people halfway and keep my word.
- (39 words) In Pushkin’s novel “Eugene Onegin” Tatyana is a very noble girl. In order to remain faithful to her husband, she rejects her first and only love. Her decision elevates her above a society where everyone boasts about their origins without being a truly noble person.
- (54 words) In Dostoevsky’s novel “Poor People,” the hero is a small man, a modest tradesman, but it is his heart that is distinguished by its nobility, but more noble and rich people will never be able to equal him. Makar alone takes part in the fate of the unfortunate Varenka and gives the girl all his savings not out of self-interest, but out of pity and love for her.
- (57 words) In Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor,” Starodum teaches the reader nobility, talking about true and false virtues. Power, origin and wealth in his time meant nothing in comparison with talent, courage and intelligence. So he favors the wise and meek Sophia and punishes the vicious and ignorant Prostokovs. He united loving hearts and exposed deception - this is nobility.
- (53 words) In Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit,” Chatsky is noble, but the respectable nobles do not even have the remotest idea of this quality. Alexander exposes cruelty, hypocrisy and ignorance, tries to defend the rights of the peasants, and Famus society only tries to expose him and defends only its position. Only those who are not indifferent to the world and people are noble.
- (36 words) In Pushkin’s work “Dubrovsky,” the hero is a noble robber who takes ill-gotten wealth from wealthy people and gives it to his poor and oppressed brothers. His gang rebelled against social injustice, so Vladimir’s rightness is beyond doubt.
- (50 words) In Sholokhov’s story “The Fate of a Man,” the hero proves his nobility in deeds, and not on the family tree. Andrei defends his homeland, sacrificing everything: he lost his family, freedom, health and incentive to live on. However, Sokolov did not break and got out of captivity. When he returned, he adopted an orphan. All this characterizes a noble and strong-willed man.
- (38 words) In Solzhenitsyn’s story “Matrenin’s Dvor,” the heroine raised someone else’s girl as her own daughter. Matryona devoted herself entirely to raising Kira. She even died helping her drag her own things across the rails. Such selfless love can only be achieved by a noble heart.
"Bikers Against Child Abuse"
Bikers Against Child Abuse (or BACA) is another non-profit organization. Since 1995, they have been working to protect children from violence and raise public awareness about child abuse. Their goal: to make children who have been physically, emotionally or sexually abused stop being afraid. Because the absence of fear is an important step towards healing. The group also helps fund therapy and therapeutic activities.
Volunteer bikers from this organization strive to make children feel safe. They also try to help in situations where children are abused by law enforcement officers, child care agency employees, and others. Whether bikers are present at a court hearing, at a parole hearing, accompanying a child to school, or just living in the neighborhood, the mere fact of their presence gives those who abuse children pause. No, bikers are not people's vigilantes. They're more like bodyguards. Wouldn't you feel safer if you had a big crowd of guys on Harleys on your side?
New house
Olga and Peter, having learned about the sad story of the child, decided to adopt him. The married couple understood: a child with such a diagnosis has practically zero possibilities for adoption. In order to receive the status of adoptive parents, the couple officially signed their names, and they also made renovations to the apartment. The last step is graduating from foster parent school.
Lesha came to his new family as if it were his own home. At first, the baby could hardly do anything and was extremely shy. The father taught his son to swim in the river, and now Lesha is not afraid of water. This family is a real example of mercy in people's lives.
"Anti-protests" caused by Westboro Church
The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is primarily known for its anti-gay stance. Representatives of this church are often seen at various high-profile military funerals. They organize pickets there, holding banners with various defiant slogans.
One can only imagine what happened when this highly controversial church suddenly announced that its protests were nothing more than an attempt to stir up the public.
For example, when Vassar College students learned that the Westboro Church was planning to picket their LGBT-friendly campus, they immediately organized a counter-protest.
And students from Texas A&M University once formed a “human chain” just to stop any attempts by church representatives to picket a military funeral.
Other “anti-protesters” from the Angel Action organization brought with them three-meter angel wings, and covered the church representatives from all sides with them, thereby hiding them from view of others. Another group, the Patriot Guard Riders, also used “nonviolent means of defense” - shields, with which they prevented church representatives from picketing another military funeral.
Several interesting essays
- Essay based on the painting The Conquest of Siberia by Ermak Surikov
The theme of the conquest of Siberia is close and understandable to the artist. After all, he comes from Krasnoyarsk. He painted the picture long and carefully. It took four years. Ermak is a fighting Cossack chieftain. - The main idea of Sadko's work
The creator of Sadko's epic is the people who retell this story from generation to generation. The main character of this epic is a young man Sadko - The image of nature in Yesenin’s lyrics essay
The work of Sergei Yesenin belongs to the new peasant poetry, therefore the main theme of the author’s poems is nature.
Be a good person - this is a proud title for everyone of us. Ale is not a man worthy of this high title. People are social in nature, so they cannot sleep without marriage. And it’s important to get rid of people in any kind of situation and in any kind of isolation
Summer is a wonderful time. I always look forward to this time of year, because in the summer it’s warm, you can walk longer, because it gets dark later. I love summer because at this time of year I have fun: I play with friends, go with my family to swim at the sea and relax
Many people are already tired of the selfishness and anger that reign in the world. Every day the news reports new atrocities, and they cause serious doubts about the ability of a person to show kindness and care for anyone other than himself. However, there are stories of people who, through their actions, set an example of kindness and compassion.
Work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
The work of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is not only a dramatic act of kindness, but also a dramatic act of charity.
Bill Gates, as part of a program he co-created with Warren Buffett, has publicly pledged to donate half the money he earned during his lifetime to charity. By 2011, Bill and Melinda Gates had already transferred $28 billion (that is, more than a third of their fortune) to the Foundation.
Bill and Melinda Gates
The foundation provides money to a wide variety of organizations to help solve global problems such as poverty and hunger, solve global health issues such as preventative vaccinations and ensure access to reliable medicines. The foundation, for example, gave $112 million to Save the Children to help at-risk newborns and $456 million to MVI, which is developing new vaccines against malaria.
Impatience of the heart
It is logical to assume that in the matter of compassion, as in any other, one must either complete what has been started or not begin at all.
In the book, the theme receives a peculiar development: a young man, tormented by the pangs of remorse, comes to the doctor of his deceased bride, and then it turns out that in a similar situation he did exactly the opposite: he married his blind patient, devoting his entire life to her.
The author puts the following thought into the mouth of this character: there is, they say, true compassion, and there is simply impatience of the heart - a feeling that arises in each of us when we see someone’s pain or trouble. This causes discomfort in the souls of those around them, a desire to fix it as quickly as possible - not in order to help the sufferer, but in order to regain one’s own peace of mind. And our fussy, inconsistent actions can lead to truly dramatic consequences.
Another example of compassion from life, which can rightfully be considered the classic “impatience of the heart” according to Zweig, is alms given to a dirty woman with a sleeping child in her arms. Thousands of words have already been said and printed about drug-addled unfortunate children, thanks to whom unscrupulous people are enriching themselves - their place is in hard labor, with a cast-iron cannonball on their feet. But no: citizens with enviable persistence continue to throw change into the beggar’s cardboard box, thus investing in infanticide. Isn't this a mockery of such categories as empathy, compassion, support?
Pope John Paul II has forgiven his would-be murderer
A Turkish assassin named Mehmet Ali Agca shot Pope John Paul II three times in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. This happened on May 13, 1981. One bullet bounced off the Pope's index finger and hit him in the stomach. The other one hit my right elbow. Later, John Paul II would say that he survived only thanks to the divine intervention of the Virgin Mary.
John Paul II and Mehmet Ali Agca
On May 17, 1981, just four days after the assassination attempt, the pontiff publicly forgave Agca, saying that he had forgiven him even when he was being taken in an ambulance to the Gemelli Hospital. And in 1983, the Pope visited Agca in prison, where he was serving his 19-year sentence. During this meeting, John Paul II took his would-be killer by the hand and forgave him, this time looking into his eyes.
Nelson Mandela invites his jailer to his inauguration
Nelson Mandela was convicted of sabotage during apartheid South Africa, after which he spent 27 years in prison on Robben Island.
Nelson Mandela
When he was finally released in 1990, he had no desire to take revenge on his former captors. Moreover, he invited one of them, a white man named Christo Brand, to his presidential inauguration, which took place in 1994. Brand was also invited to the 20th anniversary of the release of Nelson Mandela. Another of Nelson Mandela's jailers, James Gregory, also talked and wrote a lot about his friendship with the famous political prisoner.
Both Gregory and Brand spoke of their deep respect for Mandela. Brand, in particular, spoke about his transformation from a person who supported apartheid to a person who was categorically against oppression and racial segregation. According to Brand, his life changed greatly under Mandela's influence, and their friendship became a lesson in forgiveness for many in this world.
The act of the crane operator
In 2016, Tamara Pastukhova, a crane operator from St. Petersburg, provided another example from life on the topic of mercy. She heroically saved the lives of three construction workers. Risking her life, she helped them get out of the fire. The fire broke out in the evening on a section of the highway under construction. The insulation and sheathing of reinforced concrete bridge piers caught fire. The total area of the fire was about one hundred meters. When the fire started, the woman heard the screams of the workers - they became hostages of the fire that broke out right on the scaffolding. A cradle was attached to the crane boom, and the workers were lowered to the ground. Tamara herself also had to be rescued from the fire.
Ivan Fernandez Anaya deliberately loses to Abel Mutai
Kenyan runner Abel Mutai led the cross-country race, which took place in Navarra, Spain in December 2012. The runner thought that he had already crossed the finish line, but in fact there were about 10 meters left to it.
Ivan Fernandez Anaya and Abel Mutai
The Spanish runner, Ivan Fernandez Anaya, claiming second place, could well have taken gold, but did not do so. Instead, Fernandez Anaya caught up with Mutai and motioned for him to finish first. Fernandez Anaya later stated that he did not deserve first place and chose honesty over victory.
Compassion - what is it?
Sympathy is one of the most important, expressing feelings about a situation or situation. Why is sympathy needed? It allows an individual to understand other people’s emotions and remain human. This condition can be based on the following principles:
- attachments;
- understanding;
- respect.
Often such emotions express empathy for another person. They can be expressed in different ways:
- necessary or gentle words;
- encouraging actions;
- physical or material assistance.
The ability to sympathize is good, it is important to do it on time and not to be intrusive, since sometimes heated situations arise in which this “gesture” will be unnecessary and there is a high probability that sympathy will cause psychological damage to the individual. Therefore, it is so important to express the emotional state in question sincerely and at the appropriate moment.
Christmas truce
By December 1914, the First World War had already claimed almost a million lives (and a total of 14 million would die in this war), but for one day - Christmas - a truce was established between British and German soldiers.
It is still unknown exactly how true this story is, and how much its details are exaggerated. But if she is to be believed, then the British soldiers in the trenches on the front line suddenly heard a familiar tune coming from the German trenches nearby. It was “Silent Night”, from which unauthorized fraternization between enemies began. There were no gunshots or explosions during the Christmas Truce. The soldiers, quite tired of the war, simply shook hands, and then shared cigarettes and threw canned goods throughout the Western Front.
