Promoting selfishness seems to be a taboo and the complete opposite of what parents or society is teaching us. While this does not sound so good for most people, selfishness unexpectedly brings a person several benefits.
Problems exist. They are ready to test your strength of heart and mind. Thus, problems trigger your survival instinct. Naturally, a person would place his needs first before anything and anyone to be able to keep going in life. Most people call this act selfishness but if you will look at it closely, you can relate it to a popular quote “you cannot give what you do not have”.
The quote was popularized by leadership educator Greg Hiebert in his book that tackles the seven fundamental habits to becoming personally and professionally fulfilled.
Case Study A
Megan was only sixteen when her father died. They had no money left. It was untimely because she is about to graduate in her senior year and will soon proceed in her college if her father was still alive. Her life became full of uncertainty because nobody could support now her schooling. Her mom wanted her to forget about her studies and should start working instead to be able to earn money for the family. This was not a good idea for Megan because she wanted to finish her studies and aspire for a higher career opportunity than waiting tables.
She applied to be a University Scholar and passed. She will receive no salary but she is now free to pursue any degree that she is interested in. Her mother was furious and disappointed because they will live now at the mercy of their relatives for their basic needs. Megan paid no heed to her mother’s qualms. She played blind to her family’s financial problems just to pursue her studies. Her friends helped with her other expenses and emerged successful in the end. She is now capable of offering her family a better life.
Case Study B
Daniel has been working in the corporate world for 5 years. In such a period, he got promoted faster on the corporate ladder. Despite his success, he is not well-liked by his co-employees. Daniel does not like to mingle. He likes working on his own and refuses to be involved in other people’s business. Sharing what he knows is not his forte. Daniel believed that staying apart from the rest would give him the advantage of saving himself from getting involved in any workplace drama. He keeps his knowledge about his job and the corporate world within him with no intention at all to share. By doing so, he alone will be recognized for what he is capable to do. (See https://gossipwhiz.com/2021/03/11/when-your-boss-is-not-the-smartest/)
You are maybe feeling skeptical at this point but these two case studies just showed how selfishness can be viewed in a different light. Furthermore, one can truly believe now the definition of the phrase “more than meets the eye”.
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