(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.)
I used to think being selfish was bad, but there is actually a good kind of selfishness: wise selfishness.
The Dalai Lama said that people should be wisely selfish.
He explained, “I often joke that if you really want to be selfish, you should be very altruistic! You should take good care of others, be concerned for their welfare, help them, serve them, make more friends, make more smiles. The result? When you yourself need help, you find plenty of helpers! If, on the other hand, you neglect the happiness of others, in the long term you will be the loser.”
He is right. If you want happiness, you should think about other people. Other people also want happiness, so we have to work together to make each other happy.
If you seek only your own happiness, you use other people for your benefit. Then they feel bad and avoid you, and in the end you can’t be happy.
People have egos, so they tend to act self-centeredly. However, it’s important to be wisely selfish.
Being kind has many benefits, such as the following.
Research shows that kindness is good for health, and people who volunteer are happier than those who don’t.
One study found that people who often speak ill of others experience increased stress on the brain and body, which harms their health and triples their risk of dementia.
Kind people’s faces look gentle and beautiful. I personally think that developing a kind face by being kind to others is more worthwhile than buying expensive cosmetics.
Foolish people only think about themselves and fail to get what they want. Wise people, on the other hand, think about others, and as a result, they can get what they want.
Of course, people should be kind simply because it is the right thing to do. Even if they gain nothing in return, they should still practice kindness.
I can’t become a holy person like the Dalai Lama, but I want to practice wise selfishness.