Experiencing past adversity traditionally has been linked to negative life outcomes. However, emerging evidence suggests that heterogeneity exists with respect to links between adversity and resilience, with adversity often enhancing cooperation in the face of joint suffering. Here, the authors present 2 studies designed to examine if the severity of past adversity is associated with an enduring propensity for empathy-mediated compassion, and, if so, whether the resulting compassion directly is, in turn, linked to behavior meant to relieve the suffering of others. Using both MTurk and laboratory-based paradigms, the authors find that increasing severity of past adversity predicts increased empathy, which in turn, is linked to a stable tendency to feel compassion for others in need. In addition, they demonstrate that the resulting individual differences in compassion appear to engender behavioral responses meant to assist others (i.e., charitable giving, helping a stranger).

Is past suffering associated with hardened hearts or warmed ones? Answering this question is of central import for two reasons. The first is that adversity and suffering are unfortunate yet unavoidable parts of the human condition. Although the types and frequencies of adversity that individuals confront may vary across gender, ethnicity, and social-economic status, no one is assured of escaping the travails of loss, illness, or violence during his or her lifetime (Bonanno, 2004; Norris, 1992). The second is that a capacity for compassion and empathy stands as a central motivator for many prosocial behaviors that underlie the social exchange and support necessary for building social capital (Crocker & Canevello, 2008; DeSteno, 2015; Goetz, Keltner, & Simon-Thomas, 2010; Kahana, Harel & Kahana, 1988; Kishon-Barash, Midlarsky & Johnson, 1999). As a result, any influence of adversity on a tendency to be compassionate might not only impact individuals’ well-being during the time of initial distress, but also impact decisions related to adaptive social functioning for years to come.

Given the...