A Fearless Heart: How the Courage to Be Compassionate Can Transform Our Lives

by Thupten Jinpa

When our story says that we are at heart selfish and aggressive creatures, we assume that every man is for himself.

Our capacity for empathy, compassion, kindness, and altruistic behavior is inborn, rather than acquired through socialization or cultural exposure. Only later, through socialization, do we begin to differentiate between those who are worthy of our kindness and those who are not.

Whether or not you’re a parent, one way to think about self-compassion is as being a good parent to yourself.