Compassion That Humbles The World

Nepal is not responsible for the climate change that caused the disastrous floods wiping out whole villages and killing thousands of people. Yet Nepal’s foreign affairs minister Shisir Khanal (Khanal 2026) can show compassion not just for the families of those who lost their lives but also towards those wealthy individuals who deni or knowingly continue to contribute to that changing climate. A simple act of compassion that throws into stark contrast an angry, self harming and discontented consumerist World.

To have compassion is to avoid becoming stuck in DENIAL/avoidance, ANGER/blame and DEPRESSION/helplessness, natural human reactions to adversity and loss (Kübler-Ross 1969). Compassion can then open us to the possibility of BARGAINING/resilience and ACCEPTANCE/adapting to a changed world.

Yet to have compassion for others you must first have compassion for your self. This is a core principle in the practice of Embodied Tai Chi. To seek harmony between our left brains focused intent and the observing right brains flow.

The unfolding right brain, a place of compassion that connects us to everything (McGilchrist 2026).

Reference

Khanal Shisir (2026) Nepal Foreign Affairs Minister Shisir Khanal interviewed by Paraic O'Brien for Channel 4 News broadcast on 2nd September 2026, https://www.channel4.com/news/we-acted-as-fast-as-we-could-to-get-expertise-into-nepal-says-foreign-minister , accessed 2nd September 2026.

Kübler-Ross (1969) Kübler-Ross’s Five Stages of Grief in Understanding Different Models of Grief: The Loss Foundation, https://thelossfoundation.org/stages-of-grief/models-of-grief/?v=7885444af42e , accessed 3rd September 2026

McGilchrist Iain Dr (2026) Dr Iain McGilchrist interviewed by Matthew Syed in Sideways, episode 'Know It All' broadcast on Radio 4, 2nd September 2026, https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0030xgc , accessed 2nd September 2026