Selflessness

Two words and realities aptly describe the trials and tensions and the failures and successes in the world. One word is selfishness. The other is selflessness. These two concepts are not just opposites, they are absolute contradictory realities. The purpose of this article is to take a brief look at one of them, namely, selflessness.

The greatest of all heroic acts, throughout the history of the world is the act of selflessness. Consider one human being giving his or her life for another. Consider a spouse who lovingly cares for an ill mate for many years. Consider the person who stops the pursuit of personal gain in order to reach out to a hurting fellow human being. These are but a few examples of this amazing life reality known as selflessness. So, what is it? Selflessness consists of putting the self in the background in order to focus on the other.

What makes selflessness so amazing is that it is contrary to human nature. People by nature are self-serving and self-focused. It takes a strong act of the will to turn that around and focus on other people. Perhaps the greatest proof of positive character is the amount of selfless behavior in life. The fact that human beings can overcome focus on self to serve others is a cause for hope in the world. Selfless people have servant hearts. They seek consistently and with passion to put others ahead of themselves. Selfish people tend to get more media play, but selfless people are the true foundation for growth and for peace.