How to be kind to yourself when the world (or your culture) teaches you to be tough

Exploring how our cultural surroundings influence our inner critic, and how self-compassion can help us overcome it

Photo by Giulia Bertelli on Unsplash

What is self-compassion?

Self-compassion has been on my mind a lot lately. My recent trip to Bhutan and Nepal, where I saw images of the Compassion Buddha everywhere (full story here), got me thinking. In Buddhism, compassion for others (karuṇā) is a fundamental principle.

In the West, we often discuss empathy and compassion, but a more distinct and quietly radical idea has emerged: self-compassion.

According to American psychologist Kristin Neff, one of its leading researchers, self-compassion means treating yourself with the same warmth and understanding you'd offer a close friend.