In September 2024, James Sakeah had the opportunity to attend the 'Towards an Epidemiology of Compassion' meeting, organized by the Focus Area for Compassion and Ethics (FACE) team at the Task Force for Global Health in Decatur, Georgia. In this blog, James shares his personal reflections on the profound discussions that took place, the intersection of compassion with various academic fields, and how the meeting inspired him to consider the role of compassion in his own research.
"I have attended many memorable events, but very few of them have captured the intersection of my personal and professional purpose in such a profound way as my recent participation in the Towards an Epidemiology of Compassion meeting, organized by the Focus Area for Compassion and Ethics team at the Task Force for Global Health in Decatur, Georgia. Beyond being intellectually stimulated by presentations connecting the study of compassion to measurements and conceptualizations in academic fields such as neuroscience, contemplative sciences, mental health, spatial and environmental sciences, religion, and chronic and infectious disease epidemiology, the meeting was also meaningful to me as it prompted me to reflect on my commitment to leaving the world better than I found it."
"There were so many moments of reflection on a personal level, but I will focus on two quotes on integrating five powers to deepen compassion from the presentation by Geshe Thabkhe and Geshe Lodoe Sangpo, which was drawn from Mind Training: The Great Collection by Thupten Jinpa, and which resonated with what I believe is my core human essence. One of the five powers is the power of positive qualities, represented in the quote, “Recognizing positive qualities in all living beings helps us generate loving-kindness swiftly.” Reflecting on this, we live in a period of abundant suffering, but for various reasons, we may not always recognize this, whether due to circumstances beyond our control or otherwise. However, there is always an opportunity no matter how obscure it is to make a difference if we take a slight pause and consciously acknowledge the positive qualities of our environment and all that inhabits it. If we take a moment amid the chaos of our day to pause, we naturally open ourselves to feelings of love and compassion. The second quote, drawn from Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, emphasizes the power of habituation: “There is nothing whatsoever that does not become easier through familiarization.” I would dare to add that, in addition to familiarization, there is a need for awareness. To show compassion, or even to be predisposed to giving it, requires heightened self-awareness and a personal commitment to intentionally recognize suffering and foster deeper interpersonal connections within our environment."
"Although I left the meeting with more questions than answers, particularly about whether it is even possible to conceptualize and measure compassion - perhaps because it is an element of the Divine, as suggested in a post-meeting chat with a friend in Manchester. Will any attempts at applying epidemiological methods to compassion be yet another reductionist approach, resulting in oversimplification and ignoring the innate subjectivity and holism? Will this result in limited practical applicability? Despite these uncertainties, I left the meeting feeling delighted about several things: I am happy that there are people who recognize the relevance of compassion in our world, particularly in global health, and who are committed to spreading it widely to those who need. I was also encouraged by the collective humility present in the meeting, as everyone acknowledged that fully understanding compassion might be beyond the capacity of one, two, or even all of us, whether we come from academia, religion, civil society, or healthcare. It is this recognition, self-awareness and humility that will enable us to make a headway in our inquiry. Lastly, I am pleased that there was consensus to begin somewhere, despite the many questions that remain. If we don’t start, we will never know whether we are right or wrong about studying the epidemiology of compassion.
I am deeply grateful to the Focus Area for Compassion and Ethics team at the Task Force for Global Health, and to my PhD advisor, Dr. David Addiss, for inviting me to this meeting and challenging me to explore how the methods used in my research on the epidemiology of resilience, mental health, and well-being…concepts with similar measurement challenges…might apply to the study of compassion. I am also very thankful to my thesis supervisors, Professor Ian Colman, for guiding me through the development of my presentation, offering encouragement, and co-presenting with me at the meeting, and Professor Alison Krentel, for her invaluable advice and support."
J.K Sakeah
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