sure, they tell you about compassion. they drill the words “be compassionate” when it comes to doing your job. because you are there to provide comfort. you are there to provide the kind of stability your patients need at a time when everything is uncertain. you are supposed to be the embodiment of reassurance. that everything’s gonna be okay, and that works both ways — in death and in recovery.

they tell you about that but they don’t teach you how to do it effectively. because compassion is innate. some people are naturally rude while others are naturally sensitive. those in between struggle their way towards martyrdom.

but what they don’t tell you is that compassion can be crippling. because then you feel too much. and when you do, you mentally run away from it all when in reality, you are emotionally strapped to the pain and the suffering.