Pity, Sympathy, and Empathy are similar forces that move us to compassion, but they are not the same and have their own unique characteristics. In the medical profession these elements are tied to bedside manner and in philosophy they can often be viewed as a part of ethics. Let us look briefly at the distinction: Pity is a compassionate action that always contains an element of superiority. It is often spontaneous and isolated. An example of this as a person giving money or food to a homeless person, even if overall they find homeless people to be an annoyance or a burden. Pity doesn't make one a bad person by any means, but it is the least lasting and involved of the three and most likely the least one a person would not want in their physician or policy makers. Sympathy is an intellectual understanding of a situation. If we continue with our example, someone who is sympathetic the the homeless would have a good understanding of the economic, racial, and mental health issues...