Developing our sympathetic compassion is not only possible but

Hear the profound and stirring words of George Saunders, who declared: “Developing our sympathetic compassion is not only possible but the only reason for us to be here on earth.” In this utterance lies the distilled wisdom of centuries, the very marrow of human existence. He does not speak of wealth, nor conquest, nor fleeting glories, but of compassion—of that sacred fire within us which binds one heart to another. For without compassion, all achievements crumble into dust; but with it, even the smallest act of kindness becomes eternal.

The meaning of this saying rests upon the conviction that human life has but one true purpose: the cultivation of compassion. To be wise without compassion is to be cold; to be strong without compassion is to be cruel; to be rich without compassion is to be barren. All else—knowledge, labor, art, discovery—is scaffolding built to serve this higher end. Saunders reminds us that we are here not to dominate one another, nor to build monuments to our egos, but to grow in sympathy, to see ourselves in others, and to heal what is broken in the world around us.

Consider the story of Mother Teresa in the slums of Calcutta. She owned nothing, commanded no armies, and wrote no grand philosophies. Yet she lived among the dying, offering comfort, dignity, and tenderness. To the world she seemed powerless, yet she carried a power greater than kings: the strength of compassion. Her life embodied Saunders’ vision—that to develop sympathetic compassion is not only possible but is, in truth, the very purpose of our days under the sun.

History too confirms this. When Abraham Lincoln led his nation through the storm of civil war, it was not his cunning nor his authority alone that preserved the Union—it was his compassion. He wept over the dead, he sought mercy for the conquered, he spoke not of vengeance but of “malice toward none, charity for all.” His greatness lay not only in policy, but in the depth of his human sympathy. His example reveals that compassion is not weakness but the root of enduring strength.

Yet Saunders’ words also serve as a challenge. Too often, humanity forgets its higher calling. We rush after wealth, after comfort, after glory, and in so doing, we neglect the cultivation of the heart. The result is strife, loneliness, division, and despair. Compassion must be developed, he says, reminding us that it is not simply given—it is a discipline, a choice, an act repeated until it shapes our very nature. We are not here to be idle; we are here to grow into greater sympathy for all who share this earthly journey.

The lesson is plain: if you would fulfill the purpose of life, then practice compassion daily. Begin with the small acts: listen with patience, forgive quickly, give without expecting return, comfort those in sorrow, lift up those who fall. Do not say, “I am too small to matter,” for every act of kindness ripples outward, touching lives you will never see. And as you give compassion, you will find yourself transformed—the burdens you once bore will seem lighter, for in healing others, you heal yourself.

So, children of tomorrow, engrave this truth upon your souls: we are here for no other reason than to grow in sympathetic compassion. Knowledge will fade, monuments will fall, power will pass into the hands of others, but compassion endures, echoing through generations like a song that never dies. As George Saunders declared, it is not only possible, it is the very reason we are alive. Live, then, not for pride or profit, but for love—and in that love, discover the true purpose of your days upon the earth.