Like babies, we adults also need warmth — psychological warmth. Physical, too: sometimes we need to be touched and cuddled like babies. But mostly we need someone to talk to, someone who knows and appreciates us. Someone who cares about us. Warmth then becomes a metaphor. It is no longer just a biological necessity, it is a quality we see in someone's eyes, hear in her voice, sense in the way she greets us. It is at the very heart of kindness.

Piero Ferrucci, The Power of Kindness