Yes, very true ^^^^^^^^

From going to an MMA/boxing gym for 10+ years and making all kinds of mistakes. This is what I have learnt about pity:

If you feel pity for the person you are facing across the ring/cage, you may end up making him win. You won't perform at your best. The end result of this pity is that you subconsciously end up making other people feel pity on you (because you lost the match, you lost money, you didn't perform at your fullest potential, you didn't make your coaches look good etc.).

Basically you END UP feeling pity on yourself and also make others feel pity on you.

Never feel pity for people who happen to be lower than you on the ladder. Never disrespect and put them down either (treat people like you want to be treated). Never subconsciously make yourself worse on purpose either (you are part of the universe and you matter). Always be at your best. Never let anyone make you feel "bad" for being at your best.

I wish I knew all of this when I was younger. I wasted most of my life feeling "pity" for people and then subconsciously making myself worse so that I don't have to "feel" pity.