What's the difference between compassion and nurturing?

[Helini]

Hi, currently going through EMDR for complex PTSD and I need to come up with 4 characters / guardians.

One wise
One protector
One compassionate
And one nurturing.

The characters can be based on someone I know in RL, a celebrity, an animal, a fictional character. So far, I've thought of a protecto:- a doberman and I'm going to call her Blina because I think that means female protector.

What's the actual difference between compassion and nurture though?

I see them as the same thing and a really kind, mother like figure feeding me soup or something when I'm sick.

Can anyone give me an example of two characters, 1 compassionate and 1 nurturing please?

Compassionate: someone like Mother Theresa
Nurturing implies helping you grow, someone who nurtures your talents for instance, like a teacher or a coach.
That’s how I’d see it. HTH

Compassion can be a more distant thing. A compassionate judge, for instance, would understand if a criminal was up before them that they might need an element of punishment to help them understand the consequences of their actions and to help them develop a conscience. You can feel compassion towards people you've never met, but you wouldn't be nurturing those people. Nurturing is more the act of taking care of someone, feeding them, loving them in action, encouraging them, makings sure they are safe and comfortable.

I agree with above.. I think compassion to be more caring about your feelings, whatever they are, and giving comfort. This would be a Nana, best friend etc
Nurture is more a planned development to bring out the best in you , like a teacher or mentor or parent etc.
These are very broad examples but maybe someone from your life will fit the bill.

The kind mother figure offering you soup is nurturing. Ie someone who takes care of you.

Compassion is seeing your weaknesses and flaws and accepting them and you. Feeling sad for you that you are struggling, but not judging or holding those weaknesses against you.

Nurturing:

• making sure you have a snack you like at school
• making tasty nutritious meals
• tucking you up in bed at night
• looking after you when you are ill

Compassionate:

• recognising that a tantrum is due to tiredness and not being angry but instead carrying you to bed
• feeling sad for you without judging when your friend isn't speaking to you because you were mean to her - helping you figure out how to fix it and giving you a cuddle to cheer you up

Compassion to me is summed up in a phrase about how to parent gently "they need your love most when they deserve it least"

Compassion to understand our human failings and to call us to account so we can grow as people. Nurturing keeps us alive so we can stay alive in order to grow. For me could be described by this quote by Alice Walker.

Compassion- understanding, or trying to, the feelings of someone else even if they're not feelings you relate to personally.

Nurturing- encouraging someone to grow spiritually or physically, in the best way for them to develop as happy human beings.

Good luck with your therapy

Compassion is about being sympathetic more than anything else. It conjures up images of helping the needy etc. Nurturing someone on the other hand involves helping them develop, this often includes being unsympathetic when that person is not performing to their abilities.