When man developed subjective consciousness he was compelled to contrive for his self advantage, as Julian Jaynes points out in Origin of Consciousness. Man inheritied the drive to do "what's best for himself."
Man became conscious of his self by creating a space in his mind for the analog "I" so he could envision himself. In so doing he unleashed a powerful creativity. Modern man has used his creativity to build a militaristic world with weapons of mass destruction.
This is where conscious and unconscious come into play. Unconscious man doesn’t know "what is best for himself", and is driven hither-thither by hateful emotions (passions).
Conscious man knows the best thing he can do for himself is to become loving by becoming understanding, caring, and giving. He satisfies his drive (to do what's best for himself) by helping others and doing what’s best for all.