THE DAY OF COMPASSION ASSIGNMENT

Date of the Day of Compassion: Friday, 15

th
August, 2014
Location of the Day of the Compassion: Karachi, a!istan
"#er#ie$ of my Day of Compassion:
For my Day of Compassion assignment, % decided to spend an entire day in a reha&i'itation center for the menta''y disa&'ed,
'ocated in Karachi, named (Kar$an)e)*ayat+, -hat dre$ me to this particu'ar reha& $as the fact that my o$n aunt has &een
admitted there for t$o years no$, And since % 'i#e in Du&ai ./nited Ara& 0mirates1, % on'y get a chance to #isit Karachi once a
year for 2ust a $ee! or 'ess, 3o, usua''y $hen % go, % meet my aunt for t$o hours and ta!e her around to$n to the p'aces that she
misses #isiting, 4ut for this particu'ar assignment, % decided, that instead of ta!ing her out, %5'' spend the entire day at the reha&
faci'ity $ith my aunt, as $e'' as the other $omen admitted in that faci'ity, 6he $omen in this faci'ity are re7uired to engage in
se#era' acti#ities to !eep themse'#es &usy and to impro#e their menta' hea'th, such as:
- erforming dai'y prayers
- Learning and practicing ho$ to coo! .under constant super#ision1
- Doing 'aundry
- erforming yoga
- Learning ho$ to con#erse in 0ng'ish
- Learning &asic computer s!i''s .inc'usi#e of 'earning ho$ to operate 8icrosoft -ord 9 8icrosoft 0:ce'1
- Learning ho$ to stitch .Cutting, se$ing, em&roidery1
- ;egu'ar #isits to the in)house 'i&rary
- 0ngaging in arts and crafts acti#ities .ma!ing paper f'o$ers, 2ute $or!, painting, etc,1
3o, !no$ing that these $omen ha#e such a tight schedu'e, % $as 7uite e:cited to engage in a'' these acti#ities $ith them, 8y day
started off $ith me meeting my aunt, 3he introduced me to a'' her friends, 0ach one to'd me her name, her age, ho$ 'ong she5s
&een 'i#ing in the faci'ity for, and $hat city she &e'ongs to, After that, $e $ere a'' escorted into the socia' 'ounge, $here $e p'ayed
&oard games for a comp'ete hour, -atching these $omen 'augh and p'ay $ith the innocence of chi'dren $as such a &eautifu' sight,
After that, these $omen $ere to'd to do their 'aundry, and 'ater $e a'' engaged in an hour of yoga, After that, the $omen $ere to'd
to start coo!ing spaghetti for 'unch, % noticed ho$ there $as at 'east one attendant .nurse1 assigned to each $oman, $ho $as
ma!ing sure that no one $as causing any harm to others or themse'#es, After e#eryone had 'unch, the $omen $ent &ac! to their
rooms to rest, % thought this $as the perfect time to find out more a&out these $omen and connect $ith them, % got a chance to
spea! to eight $omen, and e#en their respecti#e nurses, After % $as done con#ersing, my heart fe't hea#y and my eyes cou'dn5t
he'p &ut &e fi''ed $ith tears, 0#en though these $omen fo''o$ such a strict dai'y routine that !eeps them &usy, their 'i#es are so
empty, A'' they $ant in 'ife, is 'o#e, Acceptance, 3omeone to te'' them that their 'ife matters, 6hese $omen ha#e &een re2ected &y
their friends, fami'ies, and are no$ &eing forced to 'i#e surrounded &y four $a''s, 6hey don5t !no$ $hat5s happening outside those
$a''s, and s'o$'y, they5re 'osing the eagerness to see it, A'' these $omen treated me 'i!e a friend, 'i!e a companion, and a'' &id
good&ye to me $ith tears in their eyes, saying that % $as the first person in years, $ho they had spo!en to, $ho $asn5t a nurse or a
doctor, % can definite'y say, that this $as, &y far, the &est day of my 'ife, And since % en2oyed a'' the emotions % got to fee' on this
specia' day, %5#e promised myse'f to de#ote at 'east one day in e#ery t$o $ee!s, he'ping peop'e, %5#e found se#era' p'aces $ithin
Du&ai, $here % can spend the entire day ma!ing 'one'y peop'e fee' 'i!e they ha#e a friend in the $or'd,
6han! you, 3ocia' sycho'ogy, 6han! you, 3cott 'ous, For gi#ing me the opportunity to e:perience this day, %f it had not &een for
this course, % $ou'd ha#e ne#er thought a&out gi#ing time to a'' these $omen to try to understand their 'i#es and their stories, 3o,
than! you,
*o$ did you define compassion, and $ho $ere the recipients of your efforts<
-e&ster Dictionary defines compassion as a fee'ing of $anting to he'p someone $ho is in trou&'e .8ariam)-e&ster, 20141,
*o$e#er, to me, compassion means to 'oo! at someone5s 'ife from their eyes, Loo! at 'ife in their s!in, /nderstand the pain they5re
going through, and try to minimi=e it,
6he recipients of my effort in this assignment $ere the patients of a menta' reha&i'itation faci'ity in Karachi, named (Kar$an)e)
*ayat+,
%f your &eha#ior $as different than norma', $hich person did you 'i!e more: the >Day of Compassion you> or
the >norma' you>< %f you preferred the >Day of Compassion you,> $hat are the psycho'ogica' factors that
pre#ent this >you> from coming out<
% a&so'ute'y 'o#ed this #ersion of me, %t5s gi#en rise to a ne$ side of me, $hich %5m so happy a&out, As far as pre#enti#e factors are
concerned, %5#e a'$ays &een so preoccupied $ith my o$n 'ife, that % ne#er ga#e thought to he'ping others, % used to a'$ays te''
myse'f that % ha#e my entire 'ife remaining to he'p peop'e, &ut this assignment made me rea'i=e that it5s ne#er too ear'y to he'p
someone in need,
-ays in $hich this assignment cou'd &e 'in!ed to socia' psycho'ogy:
Attribution Theory: Attri&ution theory is concerned $ith ho$ indi#idua's interpret e#ents and ho$ this re'ates to their thin!ing
and &eha#ior ./ni#ersity of 6$ente, 20141, 6he Day of Compassion can &e 'in!ed to this &ecause this e#ent definite'y trans'ated
into a change of my thin!ing and &eha#ior,
Self-Percetion Theory: 3e'f)erception 6heory, proposed &y Dary' 4em, suggests that peop'e de#e'op attitudes and opinions &y
o&ser#ing their o$n &eha#ior and dra$ing conc'usions from it .A''eydog, 20141, 4y o&ser#ing ho$ % fe't after he'ping those
$omen, %5m definite'y going to try to de#e'op an attitude to$ards he'ping other peop'e,
Self-!erific"tion Theory: 3e'f)#erification is a socia' psycho'ogica' theory that focuses on peop'e5s desire to &e !no$n and
understood &y others .3e'f)#erification, 20141, % thin! that more than myse'f, this theory app'ies to the $omen that % encountered,
A'' of them ha#e such an innocent desire for peop'e to understand them, and 'oo! past their present situations, 6hey5re so eager for
peop'e to 2ust treat them 'i!e norma' humans, rather than patients,
Soci"l Penetr"tion Theory: 3ocia' enetration 6heory asserts that as re'ationships de#e'op persons communication from
superficia' to deep'y persona' topics, s'o$ing penetrating the communicators? pu&'ic persona to reach their core persona'ity or
sense of se'f ."regon 3tate /ni#ersity, 20141, % thin! this theory app'ies e:treme'y $e'' to the process % $ent through, %nitia''y, %
#isited the reha&i'itation center for the aim of attempting this assignment, &ut &y the time % had 'eft, % had de#e'oped an e:treme'y
deep and memora&'e connection $ith each and e#ery person that % spo!e to,
Altrui#$: 3e'f)sacrifice for the &enefit of others .A'truists, 20141, %n this case, ho$e#er, % guess the on'y thing that % sacrificed $as
my time, $hich % definite'y gained &ac! in the form of persona' satisfaction that % recei#ed &y he'ping others, 3o, a'though this $as
meant to &e for the &enefit of others, % $as the one $ho gained the most from it, as this e:perience $i'' tru'y p'ay a huge ro'e in
shaping my future,
-hat are the psycho'ogica' costs and &enefits of &eha#ing compassionate'y< %n your #ie$, do the &enefits
out$eigh the costs<
6he psycho'ogica' costs associated $ith &eha#ing compassionate'y $ou'd on'y constitute of immense gui't and sadness, @ui't in
the sense of rea'i=ing a&out a'' the time $e5#e $asted not he'ping peop'e, And the sadness $ou'd &e in the sense of fee'ing pity for
other peop'e,
6he &enefits associated $ith &eha#ing compassionate'y $ou'd inc'ude the se'f)satisfaction of &ringing a smi'e to someone5s face
due to your o$n actions,
*o$ did others respond to your compassion< Do you thin! they noticed a difference in your &eha#ior< -hat
attri&utions did peop'e ma!e for your &eha#ior, and $hy<
6he $omen % spent time $ith 'o#ed my #isit, "ther than them, my mother has &een particu'ar'y happy &y this action of mine,
0specia''y $hen % to'd her that from no$ on, %5m going to start de#oting my time to peop'e in need, she got emotiona', hugged me,
and said she5d ne#er fe't more proud,
%f you $anted to encourage others to &eha#e as you did during the Day of Compassion, $hat psycho'ogica'
techni7ues $ou'd you use< *o$ can socia' psycho'ogy &e used to foster a more compassionate society<
%5'' try persuasion &y descri&ing to them the satisfaction of he'ping others, % might gi#e them a rea'ity chec! to ma!e them rea'i=e
that our 'i#es shou'd &e focused to$ards he'ping those in need, 6hey might consider themse'#es to &e in a gui't trip and start
he'ping as $e'',
%f you $ere to predict your &eha#ior one month from no$, do you thin! it $i'' &e changed as a resu't of
participating in the Day of Compassion< %f so, ho$< %f not, $hy not<
Aes, % definite'y thin! that this assignment $i'' stic! $ith me fore#er, 6he satisfaction that % fe't from doing something for someone
other than me, $as 2ust $onderfu', And %5d 'o#e to e:perience this fee'ing again and again,
ictures of Kar$an)e)*ayat
3ince % $asn5t a''o$ed to carry a camera around and ta!e pictures, %5#e put together a co''ection of pictures that % $as a&'e to find
from #arious sources, so my fe''o$ c'assmates can see $hat the faci'ity $as 'i!e,
%iblio&r"hy
A''eydog, .20141, 3e'f)erception 6heory definition B sycho'ogy @'ossary B a''eydog,com, Con'ineD A#ai'a&'e at:
http:EE$$$,a''eydog,comEg'ossaryEdefinition,php<termF3e'f)erceptionG206heory CAccessed 2H Aug, 2014D,
A'truists, .20141, A'truism ) -hat %s %t<, Con'ineD A#ai'a&'e at: http:EE$$$,a'truists,orgEa&outEa'truismE CAccessed 2H Aug, 2014D,
8erriam)$e&ster,com, .20141, Compassion ) Definition and 8ore from the Free 8erriam)-e&ster Dictionary, Con'ineD A#ai'a&'e
at: http:EE$$$,merriam)$e&ster,comEdictionaryEcompassion CAccessed 2H Aug, 2014D,
"regon 3tate /ni#ersity, .20141, 3ocia' enetration 6heory, Con'ineD A#ai'a&'e at: http:EEoregonstate,eduEinstructEtheoryEspt,htm'
CAccessed 2H Aug, 2014D,
3e'f)#erification theory, .20141, 1st ed, p,1,
/ni#ersity of 6$ente, .20141, Attri&ution 6heory, Con'ineD A#ai'a&'e at: http:EE$$$,ut$ente,n'Ec$Etheorieeno#er=ichtE6heory
G20c'ustersEpu&'icG20re'ations,G20ad#ertising,G20mar!etingG20andG20consumerG20&eha#iorEattri&utionItheoryE CAccessed
2H Aug, 2014D,