Selfish or Selfless?

How often do we sit down and take a look around? Out of our own world and look into the world of others? To see instead of what we can get out of that person, but look at what can i give the person to make life more wonderful?

What i'm asking is, does this life make us more selfish? Does this society we live in force us to be selfish? Does it force us to become more self-centered, that if we try to become selfless, we will inherently fall flat on our faces?

Just stop for a moment, take an hour or 2 off, sit down somewhere and watch people... watch the interactions, try to listen to the conversations around you... You'll realize, apart from all the idle chit chat, there is underlying all that a very selfish attitude.

Of course, the world teaches that we have to look after ourselves first. That we always have to look out for ourselves first. Fundamentally it makes sense.... But are we carrying it to extremes?

I am neither absolving myself, nor am i saying i'm completely selfless. I am guilty of being selfish and self-centred. Of course i am... i was brought up in this world, in this society. I am human after all...

Can we show selflessness without it being percieved as a sign of weakness?

How is it, that by being kind, gentle, patient and willing to listen, percieved as weakness to the world? Its as though a sign is hung from around your neck saying "Walk all over me!"

Being selfless, being kind, being gentle, these aren't signs of weakness. How many times have we been hanging by our fingernails emotionally, only to have a friend who is selfless, kind and gentle, bring us back up and put us firmly on our feet again?

Perhaps its time we take a look at ourselves and review all our weaknesses again....
Relook at what is percieved as weakness and re-classify everything....

Strange isn't it? the greatest people in the world have flourished in what the world percieves as weakness... Ghandi, Pope John Paul II, Mother Theresa.... just to name a few....

Exactly what do we need to do to make our society better?
For us to achieve the society that we all desire?
A close to Utopian society?

Perhaps its time that we relook at the fundamentals of what our society is built on.
Its time we take a look around ourselves....

People govern the society that is around them.
Society does not and never will govern the people within it.
After all, look at it... people make up society. Without people, there can be no society.

The power to change society is in our hands!
Do we want to change society with selfish hands?
Or do we want a better society by changing it with selfless hands?

I know my answer... what's yours gonna be?