I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. For me, empathy is a root of compassion. E.g., a friend of mine had an OS problem where she lost a bunch of files

I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. For me, empathy is a root of compassion. E.g., a friend of mine had an OS problem where she lost a bunch of files. I felt empathy first, and expressed it first as well. Only then did I turn to compassionate aid. It's true that one has to manage those emotions, but that's true of all emotions.