Self-compassion is the ability to treat yourself with the same kindness, understanding, and patience you would offer a good friend when they fail or suffer. It is not self-indulgence or an excuse for poor performance: evidence shows that people with high self-compassion take more responsibility, persist more after failure, and have better mental health.
Concept origin
Kristin Neff (2003) operationalized the concept from Buddhist psychology and developed the Self-Compassion Scale. Her model identifies three components: self-kindness (vs. self-judgment), common humanity (vs. isolation), and mindfulness (vs. over-identification with pain).
Therapeutic approach
The MSC program (Mindful Self-Compassion, Neff and Germer) trains self-compassion over 8 weeks with practices such as the "self-compassion break," compassionate letter to oneself, and affective touch. It reduces self-criticism, shame, and depression with evidence from controlled trials.
Related concepts
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