The vast difference between an egoistic way of living and an altruistic one can be understood through an example found in nature. Two minerals found in nature, graphite (the “ink” in pencils) and diamonds, are entirely identical chemically, meaning they are comprised of the same atoms. However, these two minerals have strikingly different qualities due to the different bonds between their atoms. The bonds between the graphite atoms are weak, making it brittle and fragile; the bonds in diamonds are very strong, making it the hardest substance known to man.

Likewise, the architecture of the relationships between us creates the world we see, and this is what we must teach our children. If they realize that the relationships between them determine what kind of reality they live in, and if they learn how to create the right connections between them, then we will have paved a sure path to a life devoid of crisis, for them and for us.