How hard is it to be compassionate in 2012?

WAMC logo At a time when economies are failing around the world and gun violence is tearing through the headlines, it's hard to find and extend compassion for those around you. Acclaimed author and religious historian Karen Armstrong asks people "to look into your own heart, discover what gives you pain, and then refuse under any circumstance whatsoever to inflict that pain on anyone else."

WAMC - Northeast Public Radio is teaming with the Poughkeepsie Public Library District this summer to get people talking about compassion and civility in our communities. Please take a moment to answer a few questions below about the role compassion plays in your daily life in these hectic times. Your response will inform reporting at WAMC and will be shared with journalists only in the newsrooms of the Public Insight Network. (If you have any questions about this project, contact Katie Britton at kbritton@wamc.org.)

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First Name

Last Name

City

State or Province

Postal Code *

E-mail *

Phone

Do you struggle with being a compassionate person? If so, tell us how, or share a specific example.

Is there a time in your life you managed to put pain, anger and negativity aside to become a forgiving, understanding or compassionate person?

Do you use your spirituality to help you through hard times? If so, how? If not, what is more helpful to you?

Do you consider yourself a basically positive or negative person?

Positive

Negative

How does your positive or negative attitude help you handle the daily bumps of life?

May WAMC publish your insights and attribute them to you? (Your comments may be edited for length or clarity.)

Yes

Contact me first

May WAMC share your responses with Poughkeepsie Public Library District to help inform their "Building Common Ground" conversations about compassion, civility and community?

Yes

Contact me first

And now a few questions to get to know you better. None of these answers is required.

In what year were you born?

What do you do for work?

What faith tradition, if any, do you belong to?

What race or ethnicity are you?

Thank you for your responses. Before you hit "Submit", please take a moment to share our questions with your friends and followers using the Twitter and Facebook buttons at the top of this page.

Your Information

By completing this form, you become part of American Public Media's Public Insight Network (PIN). WAMC, American Public Media and any other PIN newsroom listed on this form may contact you for help with current and future news coverage.

This submission may be shared with journalists at WAMC, American Public Media and other news organizations collaborating on reporting. It will not be used for marketing or fundraising purposes, and we will never quote you without first getting your explicit permission.

If you give us permission to publish your submission, we may edit before sharing it on-air, in print or online. We reserve the right to reuse or republish your submission, or to withhold your submission from publication. You must be 13 years or older to provide a submission.

About the Public Insight Network

Founded in 2003, American Public Media's Public Insight Network is a platform for connecting trusted journalists with knowledgeable sources and for fostering journalistic excellence, innovation and collaboration. Learn more »

Through American Public Media, you may have opportunities to also inform reporting for Marketplace, Marketplace Money, On Being, American RadioWorks and other partner newsrooms.