Our responsibility to ourselves coexists with our responsibility to our others. We, as a nation, must balance the need for individual growth with our innate potential for compassion. Individual growth is not something selfish; in fact, it is something so beautiful to be shared and, in my opinion, relies heavily on one's openness to compassion. The result of people growing and falling deeper in love with compassion is progressive social change. 

In the “Ethics of Compassion,” The Dalai Lama asserts the innate equality of compassion and its role in building connections between people. He tells us that by opening ourselves up to compassion, we begin to feel a sense of responsibility to help one another.  Openness to compassion for the sake of others opens us up to their pain.  Consequently, the first step in solving wider social problems is realizing that these problems are not just other peoples’ problems.

The Dalai Lama tells us, “When we combine compassion with our appreciation to benefit others, we begin to restore our hope and confidence.”  It is obvious why I firmly believe compassion and love for other people gives meaning to my life.