“The world says: "You have needs -- satisfy them. You have as much right as the rich and the mighty. Don't hesitate to satisfy your needs; indeed, expand your needs and demand more." This is the worldly doctrine of today. And they believe that this is freedom. The result for the rich is isolation and suicide, for the poor, envy and murder.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
I’m not gonna lie, I found this quote online. In fact, I googled “selfishness” in the hopes of getting a quote about it. No substance? I think not. More like, resourceful. But that’s not the point. I found the content of the quote very real. Just think about it. Why do we study? To get a degree? Work and get a stable income? At least that’s what a significant portion of my generation believes. Ultimately the world and our choices centre around our individual self-interests. There is an atmosphere of self-centredness amidst the occasional self-gratification we obtain from our perceived altruism. Truth is, it’s in our nature. Though we can’t deny that society and the world has a part in shaping our passion for all things “us”, all of us are selfish fundamentally. Makes you think about all the good virtues we learnt like ”人之初性本善” huh?
This is not really a call to action, to empower you to make someone else’s day brighter just for the sake of proving this keyboard warrior wrong. Neither am I a cynic proclaiming that all altruistic work is pointless and to stop doing good altogether. I don’t really know what this is. I guess it’s important for us to recognise this part of identity as human? To remember that no matter how much good you think you do, you’re no better than your neighbour. Once we acknowledge this fact, then will we be able to drop the pretense and pride that comes with our altruism. Even then, we can't selfish natures in check.
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
I’m not gonna lie, I found this quote online. In fact, I googled “selfishness” in the hopes of getting a quote about it. No substance? I think not. More like, resourceful. But that’s not the point. I found the content of the quote very real. Just think about it. Why do we study? To get a degree? Work and get a stable income? At least that’s what a significant portion of my generation believes. Ultimately the world and our choices centre around our individual self-interests. There is an atmosphere of self-centredness amidst the occasional self-gratification we obtain from our perceived altruism. Truth is, it’s in our nature. Though we can’t deny that society and the world has a part in shaping our passion for all things “us”, all of us are selfish fundamentally. Makes you think about all the good virtues we learnt like ”人之初性本善” huh?
This is not really a call to action, to empower you to make someone else’s day brighter just for the sake of proving this keyboard warrior wrong. Neither am I a cynic proclaiming that all altruistic work is pointless and to stop doing good altogether. I don’t really know what this is. I guess it’s important for us to recognise this part of identity as human? To remember that no matter how much good you think you do, you’re no better than your neighbour. Once we acknowledge this fact, then will we be able to drop the pretense and pride that comes with our altruism. Even then, we can't selfish natures in check.
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