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.

MAKE THE MOST OF THE PRESENT MOMENT

“Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them.”— Orison Swett Marden

Most of us are always waiting for the perfect time and the perfect opportunity to begin our great work. We want to dot all the ‘i’s and cross all the ‘t’s. We want everything to be just right, before we are ready to make a dive.

And of course; it almost never happens.

As quoted above, Dr. Orison Swett Marden, the American writer said that for us to be strong, we must not wait for special circumstances to act; we must use everyday ordinary situations to our advantage.  We must never let what we can’t do stop us from taking the steps that are within our power. 

That is, our best hope for the alluring promises of the future lies solely in what we do with the apparently trifling opportunities surrounding us now.

Whatever is in your capacity at this moment, that’s where you can make a difference. That is your own opportunity. And, don’t be fooled, you must do the best you possibly can today—with the little you have—to put yourself in a better position tomorrow.

As we have seen, big success often starts with small, seemingly insignificant steps. So don’t underestimate the power of ordinary starts; the power of small steps; the power of doing something with the available opportunities in the midst of your present constraints.

Actually, it is relatively easier to start anything small, whereas it is very difficult to accomplish great things, if conditions must be perfect before making a move.

Therefore, we can take cue from the naturalist and essayist, John Burroughs when he said, 

“The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are.”

Inarguably, the truth of all this is evident in the life of Oprah Winfrey, who achieved phenomenal success against overwhelming odds. She is definitely one of the creative few that the basketball coach, John Wooden was referring to in his words as:

“The people who turn out best are those people who make the best out of the way things turn out.”

  

So, I hope we can all strive to be one of those inspiring examples by making the most of our current situations—whatever they are—and continuously doing the same, every moment of our lives.

What Do You Really Want to Do?

                              

I once heard Brian Tracy said that the number one reason for the failure of most people is fuzzy goals. 

If you think about it, fuzzy aim is incoherent and as such will logically lead to an ineffectual end.

Because clarity is sine qua non to living an extra-ordinary life, I want to share with you an interesting poem by the prolific English poet, Edgar Albert Guest which he titled, “Equipment.”  This, I hope will help you—like many greats—make a better decision in an important area of your life.

Clarity is perhaps the most important tool for greatness in all walks of life.

Here it goes:

Figure it out for yourself, my lad,

You’ve all that the greatest of men have had,

Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,

And a brain to use if you would be wise.

With this equipment they all began,

Do start from the top and say, “I can.”

Look them over, the wise and the great,

They take their food from a common plate,

And similar knives and forks they use,

With similar laces they tie their shoes,

The world considers them brave and smart,

But you’ve all they had when they made their start.

You can triumph and come to skill.

You can be great if you only will.

You’re well equipped for what fight you choose,

You have arms and legs and a brain to use,

And the man who has risen great deeds to do,

Began his life with no more than you.

You are the handicap you must face,

You are the one who must choose his place,

You must say where you want to go,

How much you will study, the truth to know,

God has equipped you for life, but He

Lets you decide what you want to be.

Courage must come from the soul within,

The man must furnish the will to win.

So figure it out for yourself, my lad,

You were born with all that the great have had,

With your equipment they all began.

Get hold of yourself, and say: “I can.”

DECIDE NOW

The parts I want to stress in that beautiful poem are: “You’re well equipped for what fight you choose.” But, “You are the one who must choose his place.” Still, “You must say where you want to go.” Now with absolute clarity, “Figure it out for yourself, my lad.”

And Benjamin Stein, the American lawyer and writer, agreed firmly when he said:

"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want." 

However, know thyself enough to allow yourself to want what you truly want; that is, what you are zealous about; and what taps your innate characteristics. 

This is the key indicator of the kind of fight you can win and sustain for life. Any other choice may lead to an enormous loss to you and the world, as American artist and poet, Kurt Cobain wisely asserted that: “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of who you are.” 

Imagine if Bill Gates had pursued lecturing instead of what he actually did with computer and if Steve Jobs had left Silicon Valley for something else; the loss would have been an immense waste of who they truly are.

Finally, in your decision process, please keep this powerful question, written by the notable British author and entrepreneur, Richard Koch , at front, center and the back of your mind until you are crystal clear of your great hunt. He says:

“What could you achieve that would make you proud, that no one else could do with the same ease?”

If you can keep that in mind, then you can win the first important battle that is lost by most; the primal battle of clear-cut and appropriate decision for your chief aim in life.