The Self vs The Selfless
This article is a lot different than the stuff I usually write here and is just meant to be a discussion of some ideas that I have been thinking about recently. I will be posting some of my regular articles soon in the future.
“I want to make money, buy a big house, drive a nice car.” I can’t count how many times have heard these words or how many times I have uttered these words. We all inherently have this motivation to keep pursuing the growth of our personal capital and for many, especially of my age, this is our biggest motivator. But why? Why do we obsess so much in obtaining these things? Is it a disposition that achieving this will somehow allow us to avoid the unanswerable questions of life? Surrounding ourselves with luxuries will satisfy whatever emptiness that we may have? What is it that makes people so fanatical with this concept of money? Is it just the ability to satisfy one’ s ego with the purchase of material goods?
Is it because of the acceptance that one has for the other based on if they have a relative financial status? The concept of one being above another because of the money in their possession. But why does this concept exist? Because ultimately what really differentiates me and the homeless man I see on the street? A nice watch, a couple of clothes with the name of a person I have never met, some paper and a couple of binary digits stored in a server somewhere? Why is this enough justification for people to strip away providing basic dignity to another? Why do we have it in our human nature to automatically create divides between one another? Is it just as simple as accepting that this is just the way the world works? Why is this the way the world works?
Why are so many of us obsessed in gaining power over one another? Is it just because we want to be powerful enough to have others build monuments of us for remembrance? And with knowing that ultimately these monuments will eventually crumble, why are we so motivated and driven in its pursuit?
People are so easily motivated to do things if there is a monetary amount attached to it. But we will also scoff at something if it is done solely out of the sake of helping others. So I ask, why do we as humans need a system of reward in order to do things? Is it just as simple as humans just being inherently selfish? Do we just need to constantl keep feeding this construct of the self and the ego we have attached to it.
The simple answer to all these questions is it is just how humans are. And that of course is fact. It is how humans are. But why we are like this? This is what this article is discussing. It isn’t meant to answer any of the questions presented above. In fact it is probably nearly impossible to answer them and really the only thing these questions will do is beget more questions. But it is interesting to take a step back from what you are doing and just question why you are doing.
Despite these questions, I know I will continue to want these things. Ultimately I am human and too long for this power that money provides. But this will not stop me from questioning why I am so akeen towards the these motivations. Why do so many of us hinge our happiness on the success of this pursuit? Why can we not be happy with the way things are?
With this I would like to end with a last line of thought. What is the goal for us? To use this money and the power it brings to give us a sense of self fulfillment? Can we not live a fulfilling life without it? Isn’t the concept of fulfillment, an abstract of what we want to define it as? Is it really appropriate to define our lives based on these things?
I hope you enjoyed this discussion. My regular tech articles should be coming shortly.
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Thanks!
Daivik Goel
