Recognizing this will not be a popular position, nevertheless I feel a need to postulate on a subject that has recently become clear to me upon thinking about the new cultural emphasis on technology and its effects on students, young adults, and society at large. Many times I have read and heard speeches on the obvious selfishness of the upcoming generation, considered by many to be one of the most self-involved, self-serving groups of people the world has known. Speakers often have great examples to support their position, and use their thesis as a motivational tool for altruism, charity, and ultimately Christian behavior, pointing to Christ as a model of sacrificial actions, serving all of humanity with selfless acts of kindness by giving of himself regardless of personal discomfort, to the disregard of personal safety.
No doubt this is true and my purpose in proposing a different view is not to negate the tremendous far-reaching actions of the greatest man to walk this earth, a man whom we Christians exalt for His sacrificial behavior, wisdom, love, and charity; yet, I do wish to look at another angle, partly due to my tendency to be a contrarian, and partly due to seeing both some benefits to selfless behavior and some potential problems. I propose that students, in particular, need to guard against convenient selflessness that can become an obstacle to personal success.
I recently experienced some computer problems related to a music writing software program situation that rendered the program ineffective. Like many computer people, I often arrogantly believe that eventually I can figure out my own problems, but after two weeks, I decided to enter an online help forum and submit my problem. Within a few hours, I had 4 responses, one of which solved my problem simply, efficiently, and completely. Similarly, I had another problem related to the computer and this time found the solution on a discussion board. I did not pay for this help and in one case, it involved downloading a free program used to solve the problem. The sharing of information across the computer world is astonishingly beneficial and vastly necessary for those of us who lead active computer oriented lives.
People, in general, are quick to offer help and to reach out to those in need when they recognize a way to help a particular situation. Why do we love puppies so much? Is it the awareness that a puppy is helpless and needs loving attention? Why does the tenderness of a mother holding her baby melt and mold us into babbling, high pitched children when we get near? Our hearts soften when we see someone in a wheelchair or with a cast on a limb, and the flower business remains a major industry due to hospital stays and funerals. I recall conducting an experiment in a crowded mall by "accidentally" falling down and hesitating before getting up. As I expected, some walked by, trying to avoid looking at the poor soul, but many people reached out to help me up and ask if everything would were okay.
I suspect that had I been seriously hurt, requiring instant medical attention, most would have been quite hesitant to act on the need, but I believe someone would have contacted officials or sought medical help immediately. I believe we live in a world of "instant" good Samaritans who desire to reach out and help when it is convenient and easy. I believe we are facing an epidemic of short-term altruism that in some instances can cause more harm than good. There is nothing wrong with selfless, charitable behavior and certainly helping others can be considered a virtue, but I do question how giving are we really and at what point is our altruism limited to our own convenience.
I do need to be careful before proceeding further to clarify that I do not subscribe to the Ayn Rand philosophy of Objectivism, elevating selfishness to lofty position of great value, and I find the old idea of "Self-Reliance" proposed by Ralph Waldo Emerson to be naive and lacking in recognition of the major contributions of those many individuals whose aptitude or inherent limitations require benevolent intercession of other people, people who actively reach out to help those in need. And yet, as I will point out later, there are some major cultural and societal benefits to selfishness that cannot be ignored.
But I am once again reminded of Aristotle's philosophy of the virtue of moderation: the value of working to achieve a balance between extreme selfishness and selflessness. Of course a Randian would point out that altruism is a myth in that acts of kindness are not selfless but are, indeed, ultimately self-serving, benefitting a person's emotional need to help others and satisfying the requirement to be charitable. Such as the man who feels a need to perform one kind action per week, helping someone cross a street, giving money to someone who needs it, picking up trash, and many other acts of kindness, that while may seem immediately productive, may also be self-serving in motivation.
In this case, attitude and the heart of the individual comes into play which, of course, cannot always be determined. Therefore, one could argue, that while an act of benevolence may in fact be a selfish satisfaction of one's own emotional need to do the right thing, the result, regardless of the motive, is a positive and generally propitious gain for others in addition to oneself.
In the next installment, let us examine some examples of the benefits of some degree of selfishness. Don't give up on me yet. As has been hinted at, I am headed toward a recognition of the great teacher and savior of the world, Jesus Christ whose life practices were both sacrificial and examples of how self-awareness and self-serving actions can also lead to great gain for others.
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