Strong roots are what let apparently contradictory traits coexist

To hold characteristics that seem to pull in opposite directions — ambition and altruism, toughness and empathy, big dreams and pragmatism — you need strong roots. Tiago uses the metaphor of a tree: solid values act as the trunk from which all those different branches grow. Without the trunk, the branches simply cannot hold. The implication is that personal complexity is not a problem to resolve but a structure to build: get the core values right, and apparently contradictory traits stop fighting each other and start reinforcing one another.