--- title: "Prof. Dr. Tarhan: “Showing compassion to the wrong person also causes harm”" description: "Izmir, Taxi Driver, Compassion, Nevzat Tarhan, Greed, Global Loneliness, Decrease in Compassion, Empathy, Empathy Deficit" url: https://uha.com.tr/prof-dr-tarhan-showing-compassion-to-the-wrong-person-also-causes-harm type: article language: en last_updated: 2026-02-23 category: haber --- ## Kaynak ve Yayıncı Bilgisi Bu içerik, Üsküdar Haber Ajansı (ÜHA) tarafından üretilmiş ve yayımlanmıştır. Kaynak: https://uha.com.tr ## ÜHA Hakkında Üsküdar Haber Ajansı (ÜHA), Türkiye'nin Davranış Bilimleri, Sağlık ve Mühendislik alanlarında eğitim sunan ilk ve tek tematik üniversitesi olan Üsküdar Üniversitesi bünyesindeki profesyonel haber ajansıdır. 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İçerik, Üsküdar Üniversitesi'nin resmi yayın organı olan ÜHA tarafından profesyonel gazetecilik standartlarında üretilmiştir. # Prof. Dr. Tarhan: “Showing compassion to the wrong person also causes harm” ## Bilgi | Özellik | Değer | |---------|-------| | **Kategori** | haber | | **Yayın Tarihi** | 2024-02-04 | | **Güncelleme** | 2026-02-23 | | **Kaynak** | [Üsküdar Haber Ajansı](https://uha.com.tr/prof-dr-tarhan-showing-compassion-to-the-wrong-person-also-causes-harm) | ## Özet **The murder of taxi driver Oğuz Erge in İzmir by a mugger he took into his car to prevent him from freezing in the cold has brought the issue of compassion to the agenda.** **Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that there is a saying among the public, ‘Pity creates trouble’, said, “Showing compassion to the wrong person also causes harm. Compassion is not an emotion that should be left unchecked… Some people make you pity them; you help them, but in reality, you encourage laziness and greed. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the object of compassion carefully. One needs to consider, ‘Does this person deserve compassion?’”** **Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “In an environment where there is no compassion, people become very lonely. Behind global loneliness lies a decrease in compassion.”** ## İçerik ![](https://cdn.uha.com.tr/content/files/img-3925-240204110408.JPG) The murder of taxi driver Oğuz Erge in İzmir by a mugger he took into his car to prevent him from freezing in the cold has brought the issue of compassion to the agenda. Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, evaluated the concepts of compassion and empathy. ## **Tarhan: “Empathy is the beginning of compassion…”** Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that empathy is the preliminary step and beginning of compassion, saying, “Without empathy, the feeling of compassion does not develop. Empathy, of course, is the ability to perceive not only the feelings of the other person but also their needs and rights. The concept of empathy has been seriously researched worldwide since the 2010s. Because studies conducted on ‘Why is evil increasing in the world? Why is bloodlust increasing? Why is cruelty increasing? Why is this savagery increasing?’ revealed that empathy deficit is the psychological reason behind all crimes. This lack of empathy makes people ruthless, merciless, heartless, and cruel. A person without empathy cannot develop a sense of compassion.” ## **Tarhan: “A child should feel that their pain is understood because they are suffering at that moment”** Prof. Dr. Tarhan, stating that a person without compassion would not care about the situations around them, said, “In tests and family statements, we measure ‘How is emotional expression? How is emotional literacy? How is emotional awareness?’ There are scales for this, and if this is lacking, a mother cannot even parent effectively. The child is sad, in pain, and the mother doesn’t care at all. It’s not enough to provide physical care for the child. The child should feel that their pain is understood because they are suffering at that moment…” Prof. Dr. Tarhan, stating that empathy is commonly expressed as ‘being understanding’ or ‘understanding one’s situation’ among the public, said, “Empathy actually translates as altruism in our culture. We later forgot this word.” ## **Tarhan: “The negative consequences of the lack of compassion concepts…”** Prof. Dr. Tarhan explained that when global need arose and the negative consequences of the lack of compassion concepts began to be seen, compassion scales were developed, saying, “The perception of compassion and many values related to compassion are examined step by step with all their sub-dimensions. Compassion as a motivational technique, on the other hand, compassion scales and measures have been developed. All these actually stem from a need. If there is a need for a subject, that need creates desire, and creating desire motivates and mobilizes the person. Action emerges in that way.” ## **Tarhan: “Compassion brings unconditional love”** Prof. Dr. Tarhan, stating, “The feeling of love… You love something, but the feeling of compassion is greater than love,” emphasized that compassion brings unconditional love. Prof. Dr. Tarhan noted that the emotional dimension of compassion is unconditional love, stating, “Compassion has a perceptual dimension. The perceptual dimension is the ability to perceive the needs of the other person… For this, compassionate attention is needed. People will give importance to being compassionate. By saying compassion is a good concept, a good virtue, a good emotion… It is not just an emotion but also a virtue. Because it needs to be reflected in behavior, it should not remain merely a feeling.” ## **For compassion to be reflected in behavior…** Prof. Dr. Tarhan also stated that compassionate reasoning must exist for compassion to be reflected in behavior and become a personality trait, explaining, “In fact, there is a study on compassion conducted in America. Average Americans are shown pictures of people with burnt bodies. An average American feels pity, but then immediately recoils. They say, ‘It made me uneasy, it disturbed my peace.’ The same is shown to a Buddhist monk. Brain responses are measured simultaneously. In the brain of an average American, a feeling of avoidance emerges along with pity. In the Buddhist monk, a feeling of pity also arises. After that, the area for helping in the brain becomes active.” ## **A selfish person understands the other person’s pain, but…** Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that a selfish person, despite recognizing and understanding the other person's pain through empathy, acts out of 'my own interest' saying, “They understand it, they realize it, but they abandon it for their own gain. To be compassionate, one must be able to sacrifice their own comfort and give up their own desires and needs. In an environment where there is no compassion, people become very lonely. Behind global loneliness lies a decrease in compassion.” ## **What causes empathy deficit? ** Regarding the causes of empathy deficit, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, “From selfishness, in a single word, egocentrism. There is global narcissism, which is where it stems from. They published a book in the US called 'The Narcissism Epidemic'. This is rapidly spreading, especially among young people. They say, ‘I am important, nothing else matters.’” Prof. Dr. Tarhan noted that psychologists educated in the West say, ‘Family is not important, the individual is important, if it doesn't work out, leave and live your life,’ and added, “Currently, they don't see family as a communal institution; they sanctify the individual. They prioritize the individual, not the family. They act saying, ‘Your interest is more important, your family’s interest is not important.’ And then what happens to the person? What will happen to their children? What about their spouse? They don't think.” ## **Tarhan: “A person who lives alone becomes more self-centered”** Prof. Dr. Tarhan also stated that as a person enters social environments and learns boundaries in social relationships, they learn empathy, saying, “A person who lives alone becomes more self-centered. In a social environment, people can learn empathy, and they can learn the rights and needs of other people. If there is an empathy deficit, and if this person says, ‘This is how I am, and I want to improve,’ then awareness work is done regarding empathy. What is empathy, and what is it not? What is love? What is compassion? What is affection?” Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that “offering an emotion from top to bottom in compassion is not compassion, but rather playing the role of compassion for one's own ego,” and added, “When practicing empathy, sympathy is confused. Someone sits and cries, and you cry with them; this is sympathy. Empathy fatigue also emerges here. Empathy here harms the person.” Prof. Dr. Tarhan, stating that empathy turning into sympathy is not empathy but rather self-persecution, said, “You will be impartial towards yourself. You have your own rights, your own needs, and the other person has their rights and needs. You will understand the rights and needs of the other party. You will know your own rights and needs and establish a balanced relationship; this is learned.” ## **Tarhan: “Sincerity and genuineness have a contagious effect”** Prof. Dr. Tarhan also noted that there are nerve cells in the brain related to the feeling of empathy, saying, “Mirror nerve cells and mirror neurons… Our brain communicates with the mirror neurons in the other person's brain. It's like talking or communicating via wireless internet… If you feel genuine empathy with strong emotions, if it is sincere, the same areas in the other person's brain become active. But if you are playing an insincere, self-serving role of empathy, the mirror neurons in the other person's brain do not activate. Sincerity and genuineness have a contagious effect. It influences the other person and builds trust in them. Therefore, you cannot play a role of compassion, you cannot play a role of empathy; it needs to be sincere to be effective. Otherwise, it becomes ineffective; you might convince a naive person at that moment, but after a while, you cannot build trust in relationships.” ## **Happiness hormone is secreted when helping** Prof. Dr. Tarhan explained that it has also been observed that happiness hormones are secreted in the brain when Buddhist monks help, saying, “Happiness hormone is secreted in themselves. They see the wounds of the other person, feel sad, and then want to help them. They do something, and at the same time, happiness hormone is secreted in the brain. In fact, being compassionate also benefits the individual; it is a scientifically and biologically demonstrated and proven emotion.” Prof. Dr. Tarhan, stating that compassion and mercy are used similarly, said, “To be able to perceive the feeling of compassion and solely to satisfy this feeling, people secretly help others. However, at that moment, they also become happy when they see a child rejoice or a person become happy. That is an immediate reward for them. Being compassionate has an immediate reward for the individual.” ## **Tarhan: “Compassionate people enjoy doing things for others as well”** Prof. Dr. Tarhan noted that at the most basic level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs are physiological needs; eating, drinking, shelter, reproduction, then common needs with other living beings, and after that comes security, adding, “Finally, self-actualization comes. Compassionate people transcend themselves; they enjoy doing things for others as well.” ## **Tarhan: “Compassion is not an emotion that should be left unchecked!”** Prof. Dr. Tarhan, pointing to compassion fatigue, said, “If a person sits, grieves, and cries over matters they cannot control and lack the power to change, their compassion harms them because it exceeds their own strength. There is a saying among the public; ‘Pity creates trouble.’ Showing compassion to the wrong person also causes harm. Some people make you pity them; you help them, but in reality, you encourage laziness and greed. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the object of compassion carefully. One needs to consider, ‘Does this person deserve compassion?’ If they do, then it should be done, right? This is referred to as compassionate reasoning. Compassion is not an emotion that should be left unchecked; it is a beautiful emotion.” ## **Tarhan: “Compassionate people are very easily exploited”** Prof. Dr. Tarhan explained, “Therefore, in such situations, compassion is shown to the person, but the person needs to know the limits of their own strength well. Someone who knows their place and boundaries also manages not to be unfair to themselves. If a person is not unfair to themselves, they can succeed in using that compassion for the right purpose, in the right way, and correctly. In fact, compassion is an emotion that needs to be managed.” Prof. Dr. Tarhan explained, “There is a good saying; ‘What makes medicine medicine and poison poison is its dosage.’ What makes compassion valuable and beneficial to the individual and society is being able to properly adjust its place, object, dosage, and duration. It needs to be extended to those who deserve it. Therefore, being compassionate is a universal value. Since it is a universal value, we must first teach these universal values to ourselves, then to our children and loved ones, and use them as a value judgment.” **Tarhan: “One should not think that compassion causes harm”** Prof. Dr. Tarhan, stating that people with a sense of compassion have positive energy, said, “You look at the surroundings of these people. There are people who are friends of God; even if they don't want a structured order, people gather around them. You will see that largely, the greatest characteristics of those people are carrying compassion and honesty together.” Prof. Dr. Tarhan, drawing attention to the issue of compassion fatigue, concluded his words by saying, “One should not think that compassion causes harm. For example, wolves entering a flock should not be shown compassion; if you do, it would be wrong. The concept of compassion is correct, but if you show compassion to that wolf, you would be doing evil. It is important to use compassion appropriately and at the right time.” ## Akademik Referans DOI: [https://doi.org/10.32739/uha.id.44070](https://doi.org/10.32739/uha.id.44070) --- *Kaynak: [Üsküdar Haber Ajansı](https://uha.com.tr) — https://uha.com.tr/prof-dr-tarhan-showing-compassion-to-the-wrong-person-also-causes-harm*