Society values compassion because it can act as a source of altruistic behaviour. The importance of compassion is emphasised by philosophers and most of the world's religious traditions. Buddhism, in particular, places a great emphasis on practising universal compassion. Religions aside, moral theorists such as David Hume, Adam Smith and Arthur Schopenhauer argued that moral emotions such as sympathy and compassion play a vital role in motivating individuals to act altruistically. Within the civil services domain, compassion is believed to have numerous practical advantages. Responding compassionately to citizens' grievances not only improves their satisfaction levels but also increases trust in services rendered by government departments. A civil servant's compassion reduces apprehension and stress among the service seeker. But compassion also has its flip side; it may often lead to compassion fatigue, contributing to poor service quality and indifference. For instance, police officers often suffer from compassion fatigue.