We have all these capacities... Thich Nhat Hanh used to talk about it as seeds in consciousness. Depending which ones we water and tend, those are what blossom. If we water and tend our anger, it will grow. If we water and tend and spend time on our fears or our conflict, they will grow. If we water the seeds of peace in us, they'll grow. If we water the seeds of compassion in consciousness and tend to it, it will blossom.