In Ethics, so many thinkers start with self-interest and hope to develop that into the interests of the community. As I watch and work, I think there might be a more interesting explanation.  In an international conference of Buddhists, neurologists and psychologist  (Goleman 2003), the Dalai Lama and Mattieu Ricard suggest that self-interest is not the most fundamental inclination. If, through cultivated meditation, we were to be able to go deeper, more at the core of humanness is compassion.

I think that is what we experience in serving others. As three schools and nearly 30 students work together in service of at risk girls, helping people we have just come to know, forming caring connections across cultures and socio-economics, we experience our own humanity in a powerful way. “We find ourselves in the service of others.” What an experience!

Goleman, Daniel, and Bstan-ʼdzin-rgya-mtsho. Destructive Emotions: And How We Can Overcome Them: A Dialogue with the Dalai Lama. London: Bloomsbury, 2003. Print.