I had a crippling bone disease as a child and had to wear a brace on my leg. I was made fun of and ostracized by all of the "cool kids". I think that is where my need to understand humanity comes from. Why would they treat me like that? What was wrong with THEM that made them try and make ME feel bad? I found the following story years ago, and I have it hanging in my office, over the brace that I wore as a child.
The Two Wolves
An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life.
"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves." "One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego." "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith." "This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old chief simply replied, "Whichever one you feed."