The way in which people interact is a crucial element that determines health.
Just as the management of a local environment can positively affect the global environment, so can an individual improve their health by realizing that they are not isolated. This is how compassion—caring about other people’s health—enters our discussion.
Compassion encourages people to invest in programs and policies that benefit the greater public good even without an immediate return. For example, a policy that may call for state funding to manage a measles outbreak can benefit the whole state by preventing the disease from spreading.