Compassion means to suffer with but suffering in its original sense merely meant to undergo.

I know through my own personal journey that we are all connected. That the energy of each of us reaches out and connects to the rest.  No matter how hippie dippy it may sound, I believe that we are all one.  Recently, scientists have been studying a subset of neurons known as mirror neurons. These neurons show that we do experience in our minds what is happening to those around us. Turns out, we are programmed for compassion:  http://www.ted.com/talks/vs_ramachandran_the_neurons_that_shaped_civilization.html