Fears of Compassion Scales – FCS

People will take advantage of me if they see me as too compassionate

Being compassionate towards people who have done bad things is letting them off the hook

There are some people in life who don't deserve compassion

I fear that being too compassionate makes people an easy target

People will take advantage of you if you are too forgiving and compassionate

I worry that if I am compassionate, vulnerable people can be drawn to me and drain my emotional resources

People need to help themselves rather than waiting for others to help them

I fear that if I am compassionate, some people will become too dependent upon me

Being too compassionate makes people soft and easy to take advantage of

For some people, I think discipline and proper punishments are more helpful than being compassionate to them

Wanting others to be kind to oneself is a weakness.

I fear that when I need people to be kind and understanding they won't be.

I'm fearful of becoming dependent on the care from others because they might not always be available or willing to give it.

I often wonder whether displays of warmth and kindness from others are genuine.

Feelings of kindness from others are somehow frightening.

When people are kind and compassionate towards me I feel anxious or embarrassed.

If people are friendly and kind I worry they will find out something bad about me that will change their mind.

I worry that people are only kind and compassionate if they want something from me.

When people are kind and compassionate towards me I feel empty and sad.

If people are kind I feel they are getting too close.

Even though other people are kind to me, I have rarely felt warmth from my relationships with others.

I try to keep my distance from others even if I know they are kind.

If I think someone is being kind and caring towards me, I 'put up a barrier'.

I feel that I don't deserve to be kind and forgiving to myself

If I really think about being kind and gentle with myself it makes me sad

Getting on in life is about being tough rather than compassionate

I would rather not know what being 'kind and compassionate to myself' feels like

When I try and feel kind and warm to myself I just feel kind of empty

I fear that if I start to feel compassion and warmth for myself, I will feel overcome with a sense of loss/grief

I fear that if I become kinder and less self-critical to myself then my standards will drop

I fear that if I am more self-compassionate I will become a weak person

I have never felt compassion for myself, so I would not know where to begin to develop these feelings

I worry that if I start to develop compassion for myself I will become dependent on it

I fear that if I become too compassionate to myself I will lose my self-criticism and my flaws will show

I fear that if I develop compassion for myself, I will become someone I do not want to be

I fear that if I become too compassionate to myself others will reject me

I find it easier to be critical towards myself rather than compassionate

I fear that if I am too compassionate towards myself, bad things will happen