Everyone is doing as well as they can

Originally posted as a note response, this better serves as a standalone post.

We are always spontaneously patterning towards benefit.

This patterning can take on the form of rigid fixation or fluidity. The way in which the mind moves defines compassion.

Our perception patterns itself with care, creating benefit to the greatest possible degree at that moment.

When we feel bad, we may behave in all sorts of funny ways because feeling fractionally better for a few moments is the greatest apparent benefit available.

Sometimes, we may believe that we are (or we should be) working with altruistic intent to benefit the greatest number of people possible. Realistically, we may investigate our mind’s activity and discover the area of effect is relatively small, actually.

Maybe we’re engaging in altruism (or believe this would be a good idea) because we believe that will make us feel better, based on how altruistic activity has made us feel in the past.

The area of effect for our beneficial activity defines however it feels to be us, momentarily.

This is always spontaneously in flux. When we do feel basically okay—when we feel all-good, even—we may notice our minds moving with creative intent towards others’ benefit for its own sake. The surface area of beneficence can grow outward.

And regardless of the particulars of space’s sentient beneficence at any given point, we can recognize that everyone—ourselves included—are always doing this, at base.

I’m wary of such generalized statements about human nature. You should be, too. But reluctantly, I present this generalization about the basis of human nature:

Everyone is doing as well as they (believe they) can at the time.

There’s a great equality in this. Sometimes this means that another person is acting maliciously for their own gain at our expense, or at the expense of another. The same engine that drives this activity also drives our tolerance, our allowance, and/or our work to mercilessly oppose them.