The highest form of selfishness

Since the day you learnt how to read, write and listen, you have been consuming others’ writings, listening to others’ songs, listening to others’ sermons, enjoying others’ memes, reacting to others’ posts and news.

You may be young or old, but it doesn’t matter. You have your own experiences and say. What holds you from sharing?  Embarrassment? What of that! Everyone feels so by the time they click share.

Tell us your experiences, share a meme and entertain us, share a quote, share a verse, share a poem, share a song, share a recipe, share whatever you want to share. I can’t even count how many times my mood has been lightened up by some of the memes or jokes my WhatsApp contacts share. And I try to reciprocate.

I will confess, sometimes I feel embarrassed by some of the things I write and share.

And when I don’t, I have this sense of feeling “mature”. That, if I become invisible to others, that if I don’t embarrass myself, that I am safe.  I know this feeling quite well. And it has descended on me many a times when I refrain from sharing my thoughts. And it is very seductive feeling. Not sharing and consuming what others share. It is even addictive. Who knows what the world misses by my inaction.

I have on many occasions had readers email me or WhatsApp me to express their gratitude on how a certain piece of writing inspired or transformed them. When I don’t, who knows how much evil I am committing or allowing my acts of omission?

Isn’t it an act of the highest form of selfishness, when, having been consuming others works, I don’t try to create and share as well?

If you want to write, write and share,

If you want to sing, sing and share,

If you want to preach, preach and share,

If you want to play some instrument, play and share,

If you want to share a meme, share and be done with it.

Stop hiding in the guise of being a private person. No one is private.

If you are used to sharing material possessions (if you do this at all), consider also sharing your wealth of knowledge and wisdom. What is there to lose?

In the pre-internet times, the easiest way to share anything was through writing articles that would or wouldn’t be published in the Newspapers or magazines. The internet revolutionized everything. What really is holding you back?

I consider the act of not sharing what you have learnt, experienced, enjoyed the highest form of selfishness.

I know there could many motives for sharing, but at least, giving back should be the main motive. I am sure those who share memes derive certain feelings of joy when they know somebody’s mood somewhere has been lightened up. There is joy in sharing anyway. Whatever you share.

 These quotes may help put things in perspective:

“It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.”

~Albert Einstein

“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”    

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.”

― Albert Einstein, The World as I See It.

Now that you’ve read this, go and share something .