In this instance, I realized that I was not acting sincerely, and I consider faking compassion far worse than acting without it in such a circumstance. While the fact that I already possessed empathy and responsibility aided in my acting compassionately, at certain times throughout the day, I didn't feel like my true self.

In my mind, there are no costs to behaving compassionately, as I saw nothing but benefits from my Day of Compassion. Some researchers have found that acting with compassion and altruism not only reduces stress, but can have positive health effects on an individual such as the suppression of disease activity and the activation of immune responses (Sternberg, 4). In understanding this, it's clear to see that we as human beings are wired to act compassionately, and can only benefit from doing so. Further, the individuals with whom I interacted seemed to notice my compassion in...
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