The suffering of others spontaneously releases our desire to help out. Our heart begins to open. But then there's a thought: Is this problem too heavy? Do I have what it takes? If I offer to help, will I ever get away? Set off by fear, the mind is startled into self-defense. The fear, of course, is in part a reaction to the suffering itself. But it is also a response of resistance to the heart's natural compassion as it reaches out to engage someone's pain.
— Ram Dass, Paul Gorman, How Can I Help?