When we are born, we cannot conceptualize of ourselves as different to other beings. Our ego is not formed yet. We experience the distress of others as our own. But as we grow, we begin to conceptualize of ourselves as having our own autonomous feelings and desires. This is when the table flips. We still don’t fully conceptualize of other people as different to ourselves. But instead of seeing ourselves as an extension of the world around us, we see everything in our world as an extension of ourselves.