"There is a tendency in us to be individualistic, a seed of egoism, but that isn’t all that is in
us. There is also the seed of togetherness, the desire to help and be kind to others. If you are
exposed to an environment where the negative seed is watered every day, that seed will grow
and manifest in your daily life, strongly. But if you have the chance to be exposed to a loving,
understanding environment where the seed of compassion, of loving-kindness, can be watered
every day, then you become a more loving person. We have both tendencies. These tendencies
are somehow organic, so they need not be enemies of each other.
It is like suffering and happiness. We have the tendency to run away from suffering and to look
for happiness, but, in fact, if you have not suffered, you have no chance to experience real
happiness. Suffering is the base of happiness." -- Thich Nhat Hanh (TNH)