“Thinking only about yourself is not good and it is termed as selfish. One should think about others and help them in every possible way,” I was taught this since my childhood. “It brings more pride and satisfaction of having given someone else more importance than your own self,” they explained it further.
Selfishness is a not a good trait to have. Perhaps, it indeed is true when we look at things around us. With bollywood stars, cricketers, politicians, etc. getting caught under some or the other scrutiny of investigation authorities, it is evident that being selfish at some point in life is not as fruitful in a long run.
However, as a counter thought, what is the harm if you want to think about yourself, give yourself a priority over others? Certainly, it does not mean that we get involved in scams and frauds or cause harm to people around us. It is very typical that people are helpless at borrowing some time from their own life for themselves. They are busy shuttling between their workplace and home or rushing to be the first customer at the newly erected shopping mall or glued to the television sets getting worried over fixed cricket matches or the reality shows or the over hyped news on various channels.
How long will be the wait be to get an answer to the question – “When was the last time you spent time with yourself?” Things were better earlier when one would come back to the family and spend some time with them. However, it is not so today. With work pressure on one hand and too much socializing on the other, people are getting distanced. It is an irony that the term ‘socializing’ has in fact turned human into an antisocial animal. Imagine a father and son getting time only to ‘LIKE’ and ‘COMMENT’ on each other’s status. A family staying in a 500 sq. ft. home is distanced by miles on emotional levels. All this leads to stress which keeps increasing and eventually ends up in worsening things further.
Well, it’s time to sit back and think about yourself. Give some life to your life, it is your life. Get out in the open, feel the freshness of the mornings, breath some fresh air; your life is not confined just to that office table and chair. And while a few may want to call this as selfishness, if it does some good to your own self then so be it. Ayn Rand puts this rightly in her “The Virtue of Selfishness”; also see her masterpieces “Atlas Shrugged” and “Fountainhead”, and you will know selfishness is not bad at all. Ayn Rand believed that individuals must choose their values and actions solely by reason, and that "Man — every man — is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others." According to Rand, the individual "must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life."
We all usually say (but hardly practice) cleanliness begins at home. So is the case with happiness and peace of mind. You will have to feel happy yourself if you want to give happiness to others. It is your peace of mind and satisfaction with yourself that will allow you to lend good to others. So give yourself sometime too, adore, admire and love yourself.
“Jab mile thodi fursat, khudse karle muhabbat
Hai tujhe bhi izaazat, karle tu bhi muhabbat”
Selfishness is a not a good trait to have. Perhaps, it indeed is true when we look at things around us. With bollywood stars, cricketers, politicians, etc. getting caught under some or the other scrutiny of investigation authorities, it is evident that being selfish at some point in life is not as fruitful in a long run.
However, as a counter thought, what is the harm if you want to think about yourself, give yourself a priority over others? Certainly, it does not mean that we get involved in scams and frauds or cause harm to people around us. It is very typical that people are helpless at borrowing some time from their own life for themselves. They are busy shuttling between their workplace and home or rushing to be the first customer at the newly erected shopping mall or glued to the television sets getting worried over fixed cricket matches or the reality shows or the over hyped news on various channels.
How long will be the wait be to get an answer to the question – “When was the last time you spent time with yourself?” Things were better earlier when one would come back to the family and spend some time with them. However, it is not so today. With work pressure on one hand and too much socializing on the other, people are getting distanced. It is an irony that the term ‘socializing’ has in fact turned human into an antisocial animal. Imagine a father and son getting time only to ‘LIKE’ and ‘COMMENT’ on each other’s status. A family staying in a 500 sq. ft. home is distanced by miles on emotional levels. All this leads to stress which keeps increasing and eventually ends up in worsening things further.
Well, it’s time to sit back and think about yourself. Give some life to your life, it is your life. Get out in the open, feel the freshness of the mornings, breath some fresh air; your life is not confined just to that office table and chair. And while a few may want to call this as selfishness, if it does some good to your own self then so be it. Ayn Rand puts this rightly in her “The Virtue of Selfishness”; also see her masterpieces “Atlas Shrugged” and “Fountainhead”, and you will know selfishness is not bad at all. Ayn Rand believed that individuals must choose their values and actions solely by reason, and that "Man — every man — is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others." According to Rand, the individual "must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life."
We all usually say (but hardly practice) cleanliness begins at home. So is the case with happiness and peace of mind. You will have to feel happy yourself if you want to give happiness to others. It is your peace of mind and satisfaction with yourself that will allow you to lend good to others. So give yourself sometime too, adore, admire and love yourself.
“Jab mile thodi fursat, khudse karle muhabbat
Hai tujhe bhi izaazat, karle tu bhi muhabbat”
- P. K. Dastoor
