Compassion is not logical. It’s basically spacious and generous. A compassionate person might not be sure whether they are being compassionate to you or whether you are being compassionate to them, because compassion creates a total environment of generosity. Generosity is implied; it just happens, rather than you making it happen. It’s just there, without direction, without me, without “for them.” It’s full of joy, a spontaneously existing grin of joy, constant joy.
From “The Bridge of Compassion,” in Mindfulness in Action: Making Friends with Yourself through Meditation and Everyday Awareness, page 53.