Compersion: Psychological Feeling of Joy One Experiences from Witnessing Another Person’s Happiness

Principal Category: Scam Victim Recovery Psychology

Author:
•  Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

Compersion, the feeling of joy derived from witnessing another’s happiness, can be a powerful tool for scam victims in their recovery process. For those grappling with the complex emotions of betrayal, anger, and loss, compersion offers a constructive way to find healing by redirecting negative feelings and embracing empathy. By celebrating others’ successes, scam victims can shift from jealousy and self-comparison to connection and emotional resilience. Compersion fosters an environment where victims can find inspiration in others’ growth, building a supportive network that reduces isolation and enhances self-worth. Practical strategies like mindful gratitude, compassionate meditation, and recognizing shared human struggles can help cultivate compersion, allowing victims to see that happiness and healing are possible not only for others but for themselves as well. Over time, compersion can serve as a foundation for resilience, encouraging scam victims to rebuild their lives with empathy and a renewed capacity for joy.

Compersion: Psychological Feeling of Joy One Experiences from Witnessing Another Person’s Happiness

Compersion: Understanding a Powerful Concept for Recovery and Healing from Trauma

When someone undergoes the trauma of being scammed, they often face a complicated set of emotions. The experience can disrupt their sense of trust, diminish self-worth, and evoke feelings of shame, anger, and loss. However, in the journey to recovery, certain psychological concepts can help victims process and move beyond these complex emotions. One such concept is “compersion.” Although often discussed within the context of relationships, compersion can also offer significant insights and benefits for recovering scam victims.

What is Compersion?

Compersion is a psychological term that describes the feeling of joy one experiences from witnessing another person’s happiness.

Essentially, compersion is the opposite of jealousy

Instead of feeling envious of another person’s positive experience, an individual feels genuine happiness for them, independent of their own circumstances. Originally popularized in polyamorous communities to describe the positive emotions felt when a partner experiences joy with someone else, the concept of compersion has evolved. Today, it is recognized as a valuable emotional skill that can apply in various areas of life, from friendships to family bonds to personal development.

For scam victims, who may struggle with complicated feelings of betrayal, loneliness, and even anger, learning about compersion can offer a constructive way to process emotions. Through compersion, scam victims can learn to redirect negative emotions, find happiness in others’ joy, and ultimately foster a sense of community and empathy that supports their own healing.

Examples of Compersion in Everyday Life

To better understand how compersion might benefit recovering scam victims, let’s explore some common examples of compersion in everyday life:

Celebrating a Friend’s Success

When a friend achieves something meaningful, such as a promotion, compersion is the feeling of pride and happiness you feel on their behalf. Rather than feeling envious of their success, you genuinely celebrate it as though it were your own.

Enjoying a Loved One’s Happiness

Compersion can occur when a family member or loved one finds happiness in a new relationship or exciting life change. Even if their circumstances differ from your own, you can feel contentment and joy for them, appreciating the positive moments in their life without comparison to your own.

Appreciating Positive Stories of Recovery

For scam victims, compersion can be cultivated when they hear about other victims’ recovery journeys. Instead of feeling overshadowed or frustrated that they’re still healing, a person can find happiness in knowing others have found peace and resilience, using that as inspiration for their own journey.

By practicing compersion, scam victims can shift from a comparison-based mindset to one that fosters empathy, reduces jealousy, and enhances personal happiness. This can provide a sense of connection to others, which is especially important for individuals who have been isolated by the trauma of a scam.

The Impact of Compersion on Recovery for Scam Victims

The journey to healing from scam trauma involves addressing and releasing negative emotions like anger, resentment, and jealousy. For many, this journey is also about rebuilding trust in oneself and others. Compersion can be a powerful tool to aid in this process in several ways:

Redirecting Negative Emotions

Victims of scams often experience jealousy or anger when they see others unaffected by trauma or when they feel that others have recovered more quickly. Practicing compersion helps redirect these feelings, allowing victims to find peace and joy in others’ success rather than feeling left behind. This mindset shift can reduce feelings of resentment, which can often interfere with personal growth.

Building Empathy and Connection

Compersion fosters a sense of shared joy that connects people. For scam victims, who may feel isolated and distrustful, practicing compersion can create a renewed sense of empathy. By finding joy in others’ happiness, they can build emotional resilience, create stronger social bonds, and lessen feelings of isolation.

Reducing Self-Comparison

Comparing oneself to others can be detrimental to mental health, especially for scam victims who might feel they’ve “lost” time, money, or a sense of stability. Compersion encourages victims to appreciate others’ successes without measuring them against their own experience. This reduces self-comparison, which is crucial in maintaining a healthy mindset during recovery.

Encouraging Positive Growth

Compersion can inspire scam victims to take meaningful steps toward their own goals. Witnessing someone else’s progress and feeling joy for them can help a victim feel optimistic about their own journey. Compersion allows them to recognize that recovery and happiness are possible, providing the motivation they need to pursue their own healing and growth.

Promoting Forgiveness and Self-Compassion

Compersion can sometimes lead to compassion for the scammer, which may sound counterintuitive but can be freeing. Forgiving doesn’t mean condoning, but it can relieve emotional burdens. By understanding that everyone’s choices are influenced by their own circumstances, a victim can foster a sense of peace, let go of resentment, and cultivate self-compassion.

How Scam Victims Can Cultivate Compersion

Cultivating compersion is a process that requires patience and practice. Here are some strategies scam victims can use to develop compersion in their lives:

Practice Mindful Gratitude

Start by keeping a gratitude journal that includes not only personal gratitudes but also notes on others’ happiness. For instance, write down when you notice someone else’s positive experience and reflect on the joy it brings them. This practice helps train the mind to focus on collective well-being rather than individual comparison.

Acknowledge and Process Emotions

Compersion doesn’t mean ignoring your own pain. Take time to recognize and process emotions like jealousy or resentment without judgment. Working through these emotions can make space for more positive feelings. Therapy can be particularly helpful in processing these complex emotions and learning to let go of harmful comparisons.

Celebrate Small Wins with Others

In support groups or with trusted friends, take time to celebrate others’ milestones. Whether it’s sharing in someone’s joy of finding a new job, enjoying a small success in therapy, or witnessing another victim’s healing journey, practice finding happiness for them. Over time, this can help build a genuine sense of connection and joy in others’ well-being.

Engage in Compassionate Meditation

Meditation practices that focus on loving-kindness or compassion, such as metta meditation, are designed to cultivate positive feelings toward oneself and others. By regularly practicing compassionate meditation, scam victims can build emotional resilience and foster feelings of connection, warmth, and shared happiness.

Reflect on Shared Human Experiences

Recognize that everyone, even those who appear strong or unaffected, faces challenges and insecurities. When you witness someone’s joy or achievement, remember that they too have likely faced hardships. This perspective can deepen empathy and reduce feelings of separation, allowing you to feel happiness for others even if your own journey is different.

The Role of Compersion in Long-Term Healing

Compersion offers scam victims a pathway toward healing that is centered on empathy, resilience, and emotional growth. It encourages a healthier mindset, helping victims see beyond the pain of betrayal and isolation. By celebrating others’ victories and feeling genuine joy for those who have found happiness, victims can gradually let go of negative emotions that might otherwise hinder their recovery. Compersion promotes an inner peace that fosters self-acceptance, patience, and a more balanced view of justice and healing.

While compersion alone is not a cure for trauma, it is a tool that can complement traditional therapies and support groups. By incorporating compersion into their emotional toolkit, scam victims can cultivate a sense of joy that transcends their individual experiences, finding strength and connection in others’ happiness. Ultimately, compersion can empower scam victims to rebuild their lives with empathy, resilience, and a renewed capacity for joy—turning their trauma into a foundation for compassionate growth.

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Important Information for New Scam Victims

Please visit www.ScamVictimsSupport.org – a SCARS Website for New Scam Victims Enroll in SCARS Scam Survivor’s School for FREE – visit www.SCARSeducation.org to register – FREE for scam victims/survivors If you are looking for local trauma counselors please visit counseling.AgainstScams.org or join SCARS for our counseling/therapy benefit: membership.AgainstScams.org If you need to speak with someone now, you can dial 988 in the U.S. or Canada, or find phone numbers for crisis hotlines all around the world here: www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines

A Question of Trust

At the SCARS Institute, we invite you to do your own research on the topics we speak about and publish, Our team investigates the subject being discussed, especially when it comes to understanding the scam victims-survivors experience. You can do Google searches but in many cases, you will have to wade through scientific papers and studies. However, remember that biases and perspectives matter and influence the outcome. Regardless, we encourage you to explore these topics as thoroughly as you can for your own awareness.

SCARS Resources:

• • For New Victims of Relationship Scams www.ScamVictimsSupport.org
  • Enroll in SCARS Scam Survivor’s School for FREE – visit www.SCARSeducation.org to register – FREE for scam victims/survivors
  • Sign up for SCARS professional Support & Recovery Groups, visit support.AgainstScams.org
  • Find competent Trauma Counselors or Therapists, visit counseling.AgainstScams.org
  • Become a SCARS Member and get free counseling benefits, visit membership.AgainstScams.org
  • Report each and every crime, learn how to at reporting.AgainstScams.org
  • Learn More about Scams & Scammers at RomanceScamsNOW.com and ScamsNOW.com
  • Scammer Photos on ScammerPhotos.com [Not Recommended for Recent Scam Victims]
  • SCARS Videos youtube.AgainstScams.org
  • Self-Help Books for Scam Victims are at shop.AgainstScams.org

A Note About Labeling!

We often use the term ‘scam victim’ in our articles, but this is a convenience to help those searching for information in search engines like Google. It is just a convenience and has no deeper meaning. If you have come through such an experience, YOU are a Survivor! It was not your fault. You are not alone! Axios!

Statement About Victim Blaming

Some of our articles discuss various aspects of victims. This is both about better understanding victims (the science of victimology) and their behaviors and psychology. This helps us to educate victims/survivors about why these crimes happened and to not blame themselves, better develop recovery programs, and to help victims avoid scams in the future. At times this may sound like blaming the victim, but it does not blame scam victims, we are simply explaining the hows and whys of the experience victims have.

These articles, about the Psychology of Scams or Victim Psychology – meaning that all humans have psychological or cognitive characteristics in common that can either be exploited or work against us – help us all to understand the unique challenges victims face before, during, and after scams, fraud, or cybercrimes. These sometimes talk about some of the vulnerabilities the scammers exploit. Victims rarely have control of them or are even aware of them, until something like a scam happens and then they can learn how their mind works and how to overcome these mechanisms.

Articles like these help victims and others understand these processes and how to help prevent them from being exploited again or to help them recover more easily by understanding their post-scam behaviors. Learn more about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org

Psychology Disclaimer:

All articles about psychology, neurology, and the human brain on this website are for information & education only

The information provided in these articles is intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.

While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.

Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.

If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.

Also, please read our SCARS Institute Statement About Professional Care for Scam Victims – here

If you are in crisis, feeling desperate, or in despair please call 988 or your local crisis hotline.

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