Compassion in medicine.

Now, even though you did not know them, imagine the kindness that may have been exchanged by your great and great-great grandparents and ancestors stretching back to the beginning of life as we know it. We can only begin to imagine the billions of acts of kindness that have drawn people, families, and communities together across time. Kindness and compassion bind us together as social animals. Without family and communities, few of us would be able to survive. While all humans have the capacity for compassion, and many other animals demonstrate acts of selflessness and concern for others, we also know that kindness is a learned skill that is more likely to flourish under favorable conditions.