A Buddhist story as recounted by Guru Robbie at the end of this programme. (from memory, may be less than accurate).
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A young man sets out to travel the world to see what it has to offer him, on his way along the path between his home town and the next he meets with an old man, walking in the opposite direction. He asks him “Tell me, what are the people the next town like? As I’m travelling to there and would like to know”. The old man answers him “Well, first tell me, what were the people in the town you just left like?”, the young man replies: “The people in that town? Why they are nothing but cheats and liars! They are mean, miserly, and think only of themselves.”.
“Ahhh” says the old man, “then that is exactly how the people in the next town will be to you to also…”