Tuesday 18 March 2008

Selfishness

I think, if I talk about selfishness, I am guilty of it myself. Because I'm giving MY opinion, MY thoughts and (obviously) consider them important. Yet I've had too many instances of it today to keep quiet.

Starting with me: beginning to get impatient in the supermarket checkout queue. MY time is so precious, so why am I waiting so long?

Then there were the children I teach. It wasn't my lesson, but THEY decided they didn't want to meet the normal classroom expectations but that THEY would mess around. THEY wanted to do that, so THEY did just that - that's what THEY wanted.

There were adults, too. Adults who put themselves before everyone else, who say what THEY want without regard for the effect of their words, who march over other people's feelings.

Selfishness. If we all had more 'otherishness' (we call it love, caring, thoughtfulness, empathy...)wouldn't we be happier?

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