Dualism and Beyond: A Unified Framework for Self- and Other-Oriented Compassion

Since the turn of the century, scientific interest in compassion has markedly increased, recognizing it both as an innate characteristic and a trainable skill. This research has been largely guided by a binary conceptualization of self-compassion versus other-oriented compassion, shaping largely distinct measures, practices, trainings, and programs of research. While this binary conceptual division of compassion has served pragmatic functions and yielded many valuable insights, it risks limiting the future benefits and applicability of compassion science by overlooking the potential for more integrated experiences of compassion. Here we introduce a unified compassion framework—spanning a range of assumptions about the nature of compassion from dualistic to semi-dualistic to nondualistic—to account for the complex variety of relationships between compassion for self and others. This framework: a) preserves the practicality of distinguishing compassion by orientation toward self versus other(s) while accommodating a richer variety of compassion views and experiences; b) aligns more closely with emerging scientific evidence and traditional perspectives that have predominantly informed compassion science; c) raises numerous tractable questions for future research; and d) invites new directions in compassion training and clinical application. By adopting a unified framework, compassion science can become more comprehensive, generative, and relevant to alleviating suffering.