I think our lives and the way we live them are like reflecting pools. We see in others the good we want to see in ourselves…the good we have in ourselves, and we act accordingly with love.
Either that, or we look at others and see reflected back the hatred or dislike that we feel for ourselves, and act accordingly with something which is less than love.
All the qualities of love and hate are contained in each of us and what we see in the mirror, in our reflection, depends on what we are searching for.