What we see in others (Author unknown)

    Once upon a time there was an old wise man. He was sitting at the edges of an oasis, at the entrance of a city in the Middle East.

     A young man approached and asked him: I have never been here. What are the inhabitants of this city like? 

    The wise man replied in turn with a question: What were the inhabitants of the city you came from like? 

    Selfish and bad, he replied. That's why I was glad to leave there. 

    So are the inhabitants of this city, answered the wise man. 

    Shortly after, another young man approached the wise man and asked him the same question: I just got to this country. What are the inhabitants of this city like? 

    The wise man replied again with the same question: What were the inhabitants of the city you came from like? 

    They were good, generous, hospitable, honest. I had so many friends and I had a hard time leaving them. 

   Just so are the inhabitants of this city, answered the old wise man. 

    A merchant who had brought his camels to the watering hole had heard the conversations. When the second young man turned away, he turned to the old man in tone of reproach: How can you give two completely different answers to the same question? 

    My son, answered the wise, each brings in his heart what he himself is. A man who hasn't found anything good in the past, won't find anything good even here. By contrast, he who had loyal friends in the other city, will also find some loyal and loyal friends here. Because, you see, every human being is brought to see in others what is in his heart. 

--Author unknown 

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