Thursday, October 23, 2014

Ruling Ourselves

Each person's journey is their very own.  (as is the journey of each living organism)
Melting Down the Golden Rule for Recalibration

Personally, I think the idea of selfishness gets a bad rap.  Our experiences are by their nature centered about our individual existence, and much soul searching can and should go on in that circle of one.  We all find psychological and energy and ethical insight from being alone, meditating, reading, walking in the woods, or whatever the task or untask may be.

Selflessness, on the other hand, can be extravagant and superficial to the extreme. Sacrificing ones life chained to a single tree at a construction site, planning ones suicide to cash in an insurance claim to give ones destitute beneficiaries a windfall, or more realistically devoting ones life to a cause or belief that you were taught by rote from birth, without bringing your own mindful analysis into play.

Nevertheless, reality presents a landscape within which we seek to thrive for ourselves and for others. Selfishness, when tempered with selflessness can bring this pursuit into balance.  It is the day dedicated to finding joy for yourself, while simultaneously achieving deep satisfaction by bringing joy to others that brings fullness to life.  

One might even concoct a Golden Rule Living Ethic to flesh it out:

Strive to do unto living things (Endeavor in thought and action...)
as they would have done unto themselves (to be empathic) 
while being true to yourself (to be selfish) 
while being open to adjust your positions and actions given sufficient evidence (to be scientific) 
toward an agreeably malleable definition of Goodness (toward doing Good)

Not bad for a first iteration, methinks.  I present it as an open source starting point for all who seek truer life satisfaction.

Cheers!


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