A lot of people have difficulties having Compassion/Lovingkindness for themselves because they put themselves "here" and the rest of humanity "over there". They have this idea that somehow they are special, they are unique, and they shouldn't make any mistake at all, just like the analogy I give about the kid in the corner. They think no one is as messed up as them, and that they deserve suffering, somehow.
However, if they get an insight into seeing that there is another human being who has similar difficulties and problems as they do, they might say, "Oh, yes." Then they focus on the humanity, how similar our difficulties and problems are to another human being. This lessens the sense of separation, which often puts themselves in an isolated bubble. Immediately they are starting to balance this wrong view of themselves as being a separate entity who is unconnected with the rest of humanity, and with the rest of life. This sense of independence from others is a wrong view. We're interdependent.
So after they've seen that, if they're able to see also a group of people with similar difficulties and problems, and if they're able to feel Compassion/Lovingkindness for them as well, then this further lessens the wrong view. In this way, they realize that not just one person, but more people, have similar difficulties and problems, and that there are other human beings just like themselves who are subject to birth, ageing, disease and death.
Normally, we have to see similar problems in a storyline way, to get to the idea of this universal suffering. Then when we ask you to put yourself with the others, sometimes people will see resistance arising and think, "No, I'm unique," or "I don't deserve it". But if they are able to then visualize themselves with the other people in the group who say to them, "Ok, come on, I'm sure you've got some difficulties and problems, just like us, can you tell us about them?" Then they may join in with the discussion, seeing the difficulties and problems just like the others in the group.
Then if the others go away, which enhances the view that they are separate from others, often people will find that there is resistance coming up again to having Compassion/Lovingkindness for this one person. This is because they are again going back to the original wrong view, that they are separate from others. They are unable to picture themselves with the other people, because they've gone away. So sometimes when I saw this resistance that others were having in the interviews I said, "Well, bring them all back, sit them all down again with you, and start to understand how similar the difficulties and problems are." Usually this helps them to see that, "Ok, this idea of me separate from others, is just a perception I've created in my mind". Then they can get up and go away and sometimes a feeling of, "I deserve Compassion/Lovingkindness just like everybody else" arises and enables the resistance to pass away, allowing Compassion/Lovingkindness to arise for the one person who is left.