Human beings have a strong desire to contribute. Almost all of us want to contribute to the lives of our children. We give them the best education and make the best resources available. We contribute to our organizations and communities in different ways. The desire to contribute is intrinsic to human beings because it gives them a purpose in life.
Some human beings prefer themselves and their "happiness" over such contributions. They would make excuses rather than take up additional responsibilities at the workplace. They would consume the resources of the community disproportionately. They would not mind spoiling the air by burning crackers for their momentary fun. They would not mind playing loud DJs and disturbing others for their momentary entertainment. Some of them would be so selfish that they would not mind sacrificing even their family members for their petty interests.
Generally, we would find that the first category of people are happier in society than the second category of people. Self-centered people set different targets and get a reason to celebrate as and when they achieve the same. Since the targets are defined in terms of tangible objects such as money or positions, it becomes quite easy for these people to measure their success and celebrate the same. On the other hand, the targets of "contributors" are not only intangible but also have a dependency upon "others". For example, the target of contributing to the lives of kids will depend upon the receptivity of the kids. If the kids reject such contributions, the more efforts are put in by the parents and the more frustration will it bring to them. Similarly, if somebody wants to reform society and the society is not ready for the reforms, more efforts are put in and there would be more frustration for such "contributors".
I feel that this has been a constant complaint of the "contributors" that kids do not listen to them the organizations do not accept their views or the communities or societies are reluctant to appreciate their viewpoints. But the "complaints" make the entire subject matter quite fishy. If somebody has the intention of "contributing", why would there be a complaint. If I want to give somebody something and that person denies it, why would I be unhappy? Probably because there was an "intangible expectation" of recognition or gratitude. Or the "contributor" is searching for the meaning of his life in the form of such "contribution" and when it is rejected by the recipient, the "contributor" is at a loss? If a "contributor" is seeking something from the process, how is he a "contributor"? He is just a "seeker" like the second category of people. Just that he is seeking something different. He is seeking intangible rather than tangible.
Human beings are mostly seeking one or the other thing. Some seeking are tangible while some are intangible. Some are seeking money while some seek "Moksha". Some seek their own "happiness" and some seek the "happiness" of their kids. Some seek better positions for themselves, while some seek names for their communities and organizations. There seems to be little difference between seeking a no.1 position for oneself or seeking a no. 1 position for the team college. The only difference is that the "center of ego" is wider when we seek to "contribute". We identify with the person or organization we want to contribute to. Probably "selfless contribution" is not a possibility until there is even a trace of "self". With so many things to hold on to in this world, it is almost impossible for us to let go of these tangible and intangible possessions and to be aware of the true nature of the "self". In the absence of awareness, most contributions in this world are just "self-centered activities". Very rarely people have been able to contribute selflessly and in that case, one just flows without effort. Since there is no effort, there is no frustration.
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