Choose to help, it doesn't cost you anything to make the world a better place
The world is full of hurt, anger, fear and pain. People fall into despair on a daily basis as we slide toward more separation and substitute Internet connectivity for interpersonal connectedness. The typical response to these feelings consists of learned helplessness for some and hatred for others. However, neither of these feelings is the correct response to what society and its rules of acquisition and profit taking require of the human spirit. We may not make human sacrifices the same way that the Aztecs did, but we are sacrificing ourselves just as readily to a golden idol. In doing so, we are making life imminently more difficult for everyone else on the planet.
Too often, people make decisions based on what they can get from the consequences of the decision. Buying a bum lunch does not usually result in more than a thank you and maybe some interesting conversation. Buying your boss lunch might put you in line for that promotion. However, the boss, generally speaking, doesn’t have a need for the employee to buy lunch for him or her. The bum may not have eaten for a day or more and has more need for the lunch. Yet, if the choice is between one and the other, most people will buy the boss lunch because they have more to gain by doing so.
That is the exact opposite decision process that we should be engaging in to make the world a better place. Instead of looking at what we have to gain from a decision, we could take a less self-serving approach and look at what the decision will cost us. As much as I would like to rail against the capitalist system and its ability to dehumanize, it is the system that we are currently stuck with. That means that everything we do not only carries with it a cost but also an opportunity cost. In order to make good decisions, we must balance our needs with the needs of others. Asking what it will cost is a good way to figure out whether or not you should do it.
If you are going to the store and a neighbor asks you to pick up a gallon of milk, you should do it. If someone needs a hand mowing the lawn, and the only thing on your agenda is a full day of football on television, mow the lawn. In the end, your kindness may never be repaid, but your motivation – to make the world more pleasant and livable – should be enough.
Treating others the way that you want to be treated is a central tenet in many world religions. We can no longer wait for others to treat us the way we want to be treated before we do the same. Instead, we must take the initiative and treat others well. The rest of the world may question our motives. People may laugh at us as fools and talk about all that we are giving up, but we will know the truth. Making life better for other people requires very little effort, few resources and a little time.
I cannot take your pain away, but I can share your burden. You may not be able to offer much, but you can offer something. Sometimes, it is enough to lift where you stand, and when you can do more, you should. Find someone who will accept your help and give it freely, with no expectations. Your actions may be the catalyst we need to make the world friendlier to all people.
Too often, people make decisions based on what they can get from the consequences of the decision. Buying a bum lunch does not usually result in more than a thank you and maybe some interesting conversation. Buying your boss lunch might put you in line for that promotion. However, the boss, generally speaking, doesn’t have a need for the employee to buy lunch for him or her. The bum may not have eaten for a day or more and has more need for the lunch. Yet, if the choice is between one and the other, most people will buy the boss lunch because they have more to gain by doing so.
That is the exact opposite decision process that we should be engaging in to make the world a better place. Instead of looking at what we have to gain from a decision, we could take a less self-serving approach and look at what the decision will cost us. As much as I would like to rail against the capitalist system and its ability to dehumanize, it is the system that we are currently stuck with. That means that everything we do not only carries with it a cost but also an opportunity cost. In order to make good decisions, we must balance our needs with the needs of others. Asking what it will cost is a good way to figure out whether or not you should do it.
If you are going to the store and a neighbor asks you to pick up a gallon of milk, you should do it. If someone needs a hand mowing the lawn, and the only thing on your agenda is a full day of football on television, mow the lawn. In the end, your kindness may never be repaid, but your motivation – to make the world more pleasant and livable – should be enough.
Treating others the way that you want to be treated is a central tenet in many world religions. We can no longer wait for others to treat us the way we want to be treated before we do the same. Instead, we must take the initiative and treat others well. The rest of the world may question our motives. People may laugh at us as fools and talk about all that we are giving up, but we will know the truth. Making life better for other people requires very little effort, few resources and a little time.
I cannot take your pain away, but I can share your burden. You may not be able to offer much, but you can offer something. Sometimes, it is enough to lift where you stand, and when you can do more, you should. Find someone who will accept your help and give it freely, with no expectations. Your actions may be the catalyst we need to make the world friendlier to all people.