I am often dismayed by the number of people who think meditation is a selfish enterprise - that it is clearly better to engage in the kind of outward action that produces obvious accomplishments that benefit others. Well, first of all, who says you can only do one or the other? But, more importantly, why believe that meditation doesn't affect the way you treat others?

To meet everything and everyone through stillness instead of mental noise is the greatest gift you can offer to the universe.

-- Eckhart Tolle, Stillness Speaks

I know that I am more likely to be kind and open to others because I meditate. Or another way of putting it is that I am less likely to be unkind and reactive because I meditate. Mind you, I am certainly not perfect in this department. But meditation really helps and I would be foolish beyond description to give it up.