[daguy]

'It is painful to see so much suffering and confusion and craziness in the world. But, it's sort of like when a parent wants to calm a crying baby. You can see their misery, and you want it to end, but you do not directly experience their suffering. So, there is a degree of separation in that sense.'

Like the way this is put THANK YOU

'In terms of suffering from the suffering of the world, if you are not attached to a sense of "me" then there is no "me" that suffers from it. There might be real sadness over various situations, but one does not feel personally victimized or oppressed by this feeling. It's just a feeling. On the contrary, as you expand your sense of compassion, wishing to take on all suffering, your sense of "me" diminishes. This sounds like self-torture but it is actually liberating.'

This answered so much for me - the way you have put it here made something click!