ALTRUISM: THE ART OF PUTTING OTHERS FIRST

“Make a gift of your life and lift all mankind by being kind, considerate, forgiving, and compassionate at all times, in all places, and under all conditions, with everyone as well as yourself.”—David R. Hawkins

If you have ever been given a raw deal, then you must know how it feels to engage with a selfish type. Due to our familiarity with selfishness and to fully understand the concept of altruism, I will start this article with the meaning of self-interest.

Selfishness is having a strong regard for one’s interests, wants and needs above the well-being of everyone else. And this is basically the opposite of what we are about to examine; the art of altruism, which is a way of behaving that is marked by unselfish concern for the welfare of others.

Altruism in this article denotes a measured approach towards selflessness that is wholesome and unbroken. It is about trying to cultivate the habit of thinking of others first in all that is good, without fundamentally damaging the wellness of the humanitarian.

It is about letting people win without losing the essence of your goodness; it is about placing the well-being of others ahead of our own in a positive, meaningful way.

I am highlighting the positive nature of this benevolent principle because of the surprising story of George Price, who needlessly paid the ultimate price for his misguided approach to the study and practice of altruism.

A CASE OF NEGATIVE ALTRUISM

George Price was a social scientist who later in his life devoted himself extremely to the art of altruism; and in the process, was giving away his possession to the homeless of London, one after another until he himself became a homeless derelict and eventually—after a bout of depression— committed suicide in a cold London Squat in 1975. 

Excessiveness in anything, even a good thing, can take the nature of its opposite. Selfishness is what usually ends in self-destruction but out-of-control aid like that of Price evidently ended destructively for him, which invariably resulted in a greater ill than the one he intended to abate. Clearly, his approach was not only extreme but utterly misguided. 

This is not the view of altruism that I am writing about. I am writing about positive altruism which is putting others first for good but not in a way that is harmful to the good doer, let alone destructive. In this sense, the short-term pain borne by the humanitarian as a necessity of the moment shouldn’t be anything close to harmful neither should it be unhelpful.

Positive altruism is never injurious but wholly meaningful and all-round beneficial to everyone concerned— in the end.

In case you want to put others first but you are afraid of the fate of the likes of George Price of this world, the following example by Tesla Motors will help you realize how you can make an impact in other people’s lives in a wholesomely meaningful way.

A WHOLESOME EXAMPLE

Few years ago, Tesla Motors decided to make a number of their patents freely available for the public as long as they are used in good faith.  Their technical term, “open source,” denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available to everyone and may be redistributed and modified by anyone for any purpose.

However, Tesla maintains the clause, “as long as it is used in good faith,” stressing the idea that the objective of this act is for the good of all players—obviously not to encumber anyone, including the interest of the company.

The founder of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk, knows that making some of his patents freely available gives the entire world a better chance of expanded manufacturing of, and development for electric vehicles which is the core mission of his company.

Tesla Motors aims to globally improve human lives in a sustainably beneficial way; hence, the motive of her altruism is to accelerate this objective.

Now, this is an example of wholesome corporate altruism; the unity of ethics for corporate social responsibility and profits for corporate business sustainability.

DARE TO BE

Leadership flourishes with selfless service, and despite our tendency towards self promotion; we can confirm that more can be accomplished when public good is the focal point of our business.

By focusing our attention on the good of all, we can find immeasurable bounties in our lives. When we put others first, it is like sowing and planting; what we plant today, will be waiting for us tomorrow not as the seed planted but as a huge harvest for us in the long-term future.

William H. Danforth, the author of the compelling book, I Dare You, dared everyone, including me and you to live for something that would contribute to improve the lives of others. And as I challenge myself, every now and then, I am challenging you now to take his dare.

And know that—if wisely done—to give abundantly is to receive abundantly. Even if you think you don’t have anything, I still maintain my challenge because you have something to share, if you will. 

We all have something to share. We have empathy. We have praise. We have compassion to give and share with our fellow human beings. Putting others first in these simple but priceless values is the starting point for a bigger dare in our lives.

Each time we put others first in meaning and value, we increase their worth and merit, which will enable them to add value to others in return. We have therefore incited a tiny wave of hope for a better future for generation yet unborn.

That’s precisely what the noted theologian, D. Elton Trueblood, soberingly dared us to do with the following words:

“We have made at least a start in discovering the meaning in human life when we plant shade trees under which we know full well we will never sit.”

Putting others first in a way that is meaningful and wholesome is indeed one of the only things we can do to live a useful and fulfilling life.