Mark Doggett, is a member of the Pay It Forward Experience Facebook group. Today Mark shares
is powerful insight on the human condition of self-preoccupation. Mark explains what is selfish
and what is not!
As I was thinking more than I should about things and considering Kindness and Paying it forward I a devils advocate thought came into my head and I have been working out my thoughts and I wanted to share the question and the answer I have come up with......
Let's talk about what it means to be selfish:
We are selfish when we only consider ourselves and do not consider the effect our behavior has on others.
We are selfish when we expect others to give themselves up and do what we want them to do, rather than do what brings them joy or is in their highest good.
We are selfish when we keep drawing a conversation back to ourselves rather than listening to and caring about what someone else is saying.
We are selfish when we punish others when they think and feel differently than we do.
We are selfish when we harm others for our own ends.
Now let's talk about what is not selfish:
We are being self-responsible, not selfish, when we do what brings us joy with no intent to harm another, even if another person doesn't like it.
We are being self-responsible, not selfish, when we support our own highest good, even when someone wants us to do something other than what we are doing.
We are being self responsible when we are considerate of others' wants and needs without giving ourselves up.
Many of us were taught that if others are upset with us for our choices, we are somehow responsible for their feelings. We were taught that if we continue to do something that is upsetting to another, we are wrong, bad, and selfish. When parents teach this to their children, it has nothing to do with supporting their children's highest good. It is purely about wanting to control their children into doing what the parents want them to do. When parents do this, they are the ones being selfish, while telling their children that they are the selfish ones when they don't do what the parents want.
Food for thought.......
(c) Copyright Mark Doggett, 2012
Thanks Mark for join us at It Takes One today.
is powerful insight on the human condition of self-preoccupation. Mark explains what is selfish
and what is not!
As I was thinking more than I should about things and considering Kindness and Paying it forward I a devils advocate thought came into my head and I have been working out my thoughts and I wanted to share the question and the answer I have come up with......
Let's talk about what it means to be selfish:
We are selfish when we only consider ourselves and do not consider the effect our behavior has on others.
We are selfish when we expect others to give themselves up and do what we want them to do, rather than do what brings them joy or is in their highest good.
We are selfish when we keep drawing a conversation back to ourselves rather than listening to and caring about what someone else is saying.
We are selfish when we punish others when they think and feel differently than we do.
We are selfish when we harm others for our own ends.
Now let's talk about what is not selfish:
We are being self-responsible, not selfish, when we do what brings us joy with no intent to harm another, even if another person doesn't like it.
We are being self-responsible, not selfish, when we support our own highest good, even when someone wants us to do something other than what we are doing.
We are being self responsible when we are considerate of others' wants and needs without giving ourselves up.
Many of us were taught that if others are upset with us for our choices, we are somehow responsible for their feelings. We were taught that if we continue to do something that is upsetting to another, we are wrong, bad, and selfish. When parents teach this to their children, it has nothing to do with supporting their children's highest good. It is purely about wanting to control their children into doing what the parents want them to do. When parents do this, they are the ones being selfish, while telling their children that they are the selfish ones when they don't do what the parents want.
Food for thought.......
(c) Copyright Mark Doggett, 2012
Thanks Mark for join us at It Takes One today.
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