Pity facts for kids

Alexander looks with pity at Darius, who has died from his wounds.

Pity is a strong feeling of sadness or sorrow you have for someone else. It's when you feel bad about what has happened to another person, especially if they are in a difficult or unhappy situation. Sometimes, pity can be a positive feeling, like when you feel sympathy or empathy for someone. This means you understand or share their feelings. For example, you might feel pity for people who are homeless because they don't have a safe place to live.

However, pity can also sometimes have a negative side. It can feel like you are judging someone's situation from a distance, without wanting to get involved. While pity and compassion are similar, there's a key difference. Compassion usually means you feel bad for someone AND you want to help them. Pity, on the other hand, often doesn't involve actually doing anything to help. Sometimes, pity can even come with feelings of dislike or looking down on someone. But in a good way, especially in many religions, pity means feeling sorry that something bad happened to someone, believing they didn't deserve it.

Understanding Pity

Pity is an emotion that shows we recognize someone else's suffering. It's a natural human response to seeing others in pain or facing hardship. When you feel pity, you are acknowledging that another person is going through something difficult.

Pity vs. Compassion

It's easy to confuse pity with compassion, but they are different.

• Pity often means you feel sorry for someone, but you might not feel a strong urge to act or help them directly. It can sometimes create a distance between you and the person suffering.
• Compassion goes a step further. It includes feeling sorry for someone, but it also involves a deep desire to reduce their suffering and a willingness to get involved and help. Compassion often leads to action.

When Pity Can Be Negative

While pity can be a starting point for kindness, it can sometimes have a negative side. If pity makes you feel superior to someone, or if it stops you from truly understanding their situation, it can be unhelpful. For example, if you pity someone without trying to understand their challenges, you might not offer the right kind of support.

Pity in a Positive Light

In many cultures and religions, pity is seen as a good quality. It shows kindness and a recognition of shared humanity. When someone feels pity in a positive way, it means they truly feel sorry for what has happened to another person and wish them well, even if they don't actively intervene. It's about wishing someone didn't have to suffer.

Related pages

• Empathy
• Compassion

Images for kids

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  Pity the sorrows of a poor old man

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  The Human Abstract, a poem by William Blake, talks about how "Pity would be no more, / If we did not make somebody Poor."

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  A robot thinking about feelings.