I have been wrong
I have hurt people
I have been confused
I have chased illusions
With age,
you begin to see yourself
more often in others.
At 25
We see Behavior
At 45
We see what is behind it:
Pain
Fear
Confusion
Conditioning
An angry person no longer evokes
defensiveness,
guilt,
or the need to escape.
You simply see
a human being caught in anger.
Meet an arrogant person
and you find yourself wondering
what insecurity lies beneath.
As you age,
you become less attached
to being right,
being superior,
being important,
being successful.
The number of villains decreases.
Not because people become better.
But because you begin to understand
what human beings are.
Compassion sees suffering
Wisdom sees facts
A thief might have suffered
But he is still stealing
Sentimentality sees only suffering.
Compassion sees both.
