Almost everything we do has a fairly simple objective: to try to feel well and avoid suffering. The street vendor walking along the beach under the sun, the person relaxing on a sun lounger, the exhausted worker heading home, or someone we simply find unpleasant are all doing, in their own way, the same thing. They are looking for security, pleasure, recognition, peace of mind, or simply a day without problems. Their circumstances may be radically different, but underneath them there is a fairly common need. We all want life to hurt as little as possible.

Thinking this way changes how we see other people. It does not mean justifying every behaviour or pretending that differences do not exist. It means remembering that behind many of the behaviours we judge there is someone trying to deal with their own life using the tools they have. The vendor wants to earn money, you want to enjoy the beach, and the person who annoys you is probably also trying to achieve something they consider important. The situations are not equal, and neither are the opportunities, but the basic motivation may be. We are all trying to survive and suffer a little less.