No one is born any less compassionate than the next person, even though it doesn’t seem that way as we mature.
But we always have a choice.
We can find things to like in other people. We can find reasons to love others (even if they choose to dye their hair blue). Compassion is part of what it means to be human. It isn’t to be deluded or a ‘hopeless optimist.’
It is to open up to humanity and expect the best in others. It is to see ourselves in others.
When we do the opposite, we become jaded and bitter, tighten around people, and fail to seize opportunities for healthy collaboration and mutual joy.
We lose the most in the end.
