I remember having taught since childhood that thinking only about self is not good and it is termed as selfish. One should think about others too and help them in every possible way. It brings more pride and satisfaction of having given someone else more important than your own self.
Selfishness is a not a good trait to have and it indeed is true when we look at things around us. With bollywood stars, cricketers, politicians, and other professionals (read lawyers, doctors) 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, I sometimes tend to differ and think what the harm is if you want to think about yourself sometime. Certainly, I don’t mean that we go out and get involved in scams and frauds or cause harm to people around us. I usually see people 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 the saas-bahu tantrums or the reality shows or the over hyped news on various channels. I don’t know how long the wait will be to get an answer to the question “When was the last time you spend time with yourself?” Things were better earlier when one would come back to the family and spend some time with them. However, this is not the case today. Due to work pressure and too much socializing, people staying in a 500 sq ft homes are distanced by miles on emotional levels. All this leads to stress which keeps increasing and eventually ends up in worsening things even more.
Well, its time to sit back and think about yourself. And while a few may want to call this as selfishness, if it does some good to your own self then so be it. 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. And I can think of some lines of a song from a movie that I recently saw.
In dino dil mera mujhse hai keh raha
Tu khaab saja, tu ji le jara
Hai tujhe bhi izaazat, karle tu bhi muhabbat
Berang si hai badi zindagi kuchh rang to bharoon
Main apani tanahaayi ke waaste abbb kuchh toh karoon
Jab mile thodi fursat, khudse karle muhabbat
Hai tujhe bhi izaazat, karle tu bhi muhabbat
Comments
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."