What term best describes the willingness to understand the suffering of others?

The term that best describes the willingness to understand the suffering of others is compassion. Compassion goes beyond merely recognizing someone else's pain; it encompasses an active desire to alleviate or help those who are suffering. This emotional response motivates people to take action, whether through support, kindness, or other forms of assistance.

Empathy is often considered closely related, but it primarily focuses on the ability to understand and share the feelings of another without necessarily involving action or support. Sympathy involves feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune, yet it does not carry the same connotation of a proactive desire to help that compassion does. Tolerance, on the other hand, refers more to accepting diversity and differing opinions rather than a direct connection with suffering.

In summary, compassion embodies both the understanding of suffering and the appropriate response to alleviate it, making it the term that captures the essence of the willingness to understand and respond to the suffering of others.