Human nature is selfish by default and it's not a matter of who and why , every human being on earth has this trait of selfishness as we are born into the world.
Self'ish-ness is a word that generally represents every dimension of this nature, originating from the word "self" meaning a person considered as a unique individual but it also has various meanings like these iterated below;
Self [n.]: The individual as the object of his own reflective consciousness; the man viewed by his own cognition as the subject of all his mental phenomena, the agent in his own activities, the subject of his own feelings, and the possessor of capacities and character; a person as a distinct individual; a being regarded as having personality.
Self [n.]: Hence, personal interest, or love of private interest; selfishness; as, self is his whole aim.
The self is an important aspect of the mind or the being as we are, but it can also become a very dangerous nature to live in as an unhealthy focus on oneself makes everyone and everything else of secondary relevance, if at all. So we must beware of this nature that resides in us as it is the root of pride, jealousy and envy, greed, Lust for things and many other negative factors that influence the way we live.
At this point , it may not seem so clear why I say that it's the root of these things so I'll elaborate a little .
Pride has to do with a sense of extreme self importance, unhealthy self esteem that is way higher than what it really should be and a feeling of superiority over everyone else.
Once found in this category, we lose character because we have no higher standard to aim for as we see ourselves as the height of standard, therefore pride becomes the downfall of man , anyone or anything. The most popular story of pride and it's destructive power is the story of Lucifer and his fall from the heavens because he could not stay humble but exalted himself above everyone else then came his downfall to earth.... But it's a story for another day.
On the other hand Selflessness is the antidote to selfishness because Selfless individuals are considerate of other people before their own very needs and wants. Therefore Selflessness always fights against the selfish nature, bringing about something better than what we had as a default way of seeing and doing things.
🔸The selfish nature cannot give love but wants all the love to itself but the selfless nature gives love and receives more love in return.
🔸The selfish nature cannot sympathize with other people's pain/hurt or needs unless it's directly affecting the individual with this nature but the selfless nature puts others first .
🔸The selfish nature craves for attention as with pride but the selfless nature doesn't care about attention or external validation.
🔸The selfish nature is very destructive but Selflessness is a very constructive way of life.
Since we already established the fact that we are all victims of the self nature by default, the question becomes ;
How can one become selfless ?
Becoming selfless or humble is a lifelong pursuit that cannot be achieved merely through the power of the human will, So we must carefully introspect in our lives daily or momentarily to know the state of our heart.
First we must come to terms with the truth that we as human beings are not the center of all things created but we are the apex of creation, the creator is the center of all existence known and unknown. We must carefully acknowledge His overall superiority as We are a token of His intelligence and splendour, we must acknowledge His craftsmanship and live in awe of His benevolence.
Being the Creator and remaining invisible is a very selfless thing to do , letting us take the forefront and credit for His craftsmanship.
Following in his footsteps daily , one step at a time is how we can become selfless like God and this is who we are meant to be.
Pray daily
Praying daily helps you become more in tune with the rhythm of the spirit and less in tune with the animal consciousness of our human bodies ( the flesh/ self).
Study God's Word daily
God's Word has irrefutable truth and Wisdom that cannot be found elsewhere or purchased by any known currency, so get it while you can.
Meditate on it daily
Studying and meditation go together , studying gives you knowledge of the Word but meditation brings you into the experience.
Practice Selflessness in everything.....
I hope you enjoyed this article, stay tuned for more inspiring content.
-Victor Nwulu
#inspire #content #writing #evolve
Self'ish-ness is a word that generally represents every dimension of this nature, originating from the word "self" meaning a person considered as a unique individual but it also has various meanings like these iterated below;
Self [n.]: The individual as the object of his own reflective consciousness; the man viewed by his own cognition as the subject of all his mental phenomena, the agent in his own activities, the subject of his own feelings, and the possessor of capacities and character; a person as a distinct individual; a being regarded as having personality.
Self [n.]: Hence, personal interest, or love of private interest; selfishness; as, self is his whole aim.
The self is an important aspect of the mind or the being as we are, but it can also become a very dangerous nature to live in as an unhealthy focus on oneself makes everyone and everything else of secondary relevance, if at all. So we must beware of this nature that resides in us as it is the root of pride, jealousy and envy, greed, Lust for things and many other negative factors that influence the way we live.
At this point , it may not seem so clear why I say that it's the root of these things so I'll elaborate a little .
Pride has to do with a sense of extreme self importance, unhealthy self esteem that is way higher than what it really should be and a feeling of superiority over everyone else.
Once found in this category, we lose character because we have no higher standard to aim for as we see ourselves as the height of standard, therefore pride becomes the downfall of man , anyone or anything. The most popular story of pride and it's destructive power is the story of Lucifer and his fall from the heavens because he could not stay humble but exalted himself above everyone else then came his downfall to earth.... But it's a story for another day.
On the other hand Selflessness is the antidote to selfishness because Selfless individuals are considerate of other people before their own very needs and wants. Therefore Selflessness always fights against the selfish nature, bringing about something better than what we had as a default way of seeing and doing things.
🔸The selfish nature cannot give love but wants all the love to itself but the selfless nature gives love and receives more love in return.
🔸The selfish nature cannot sympathize with other people's pain/hurt or needs unless it's directly affecting the individual with this nature but the selfless nature puts others first .
🔸The selfish nature craves for attention as with pride but the selfless nature doesn't care about attention or external validation.
🔸The selfish nature is very destructive but Selflessness is a very constructive way of life.
Since we already established the fact that we are all victims of the self nature by default, the question becomes ;
How can one become selfless ?
Becoming selfless or humble is a lifelong pursuit that cannot be achieved merely through the power of the human will, So we must carefully introspect in our lives daily or momentarily to know the state of our heart.
First we must come to terms with the truth that we as human beings are not the center of all things created but we are the apex of creation, the creator is the center of all existence known and unknown. We must carefully acknowledge His overall superiority as We are a token of His intelligence and splendour, we must acknowledge His craftsmanship and live in awe of His benevolence.
Being the Creator and remaining invisible is a very selfless thing to do , letting us take the forefront and credit for His craftsmanship.
Following in his footsteps daily , one step at a time is how we can become selfless like God and this is who we are meant to be.
Pray daily
Praying daily helps you become more in tune with the rhythm of the spirit and less in tune with the animal consciousness of our human bodies ( the flesh/ self).
Study God's Word daily
God's Word has irrefutable truth and Wisdom that cannot be found elsewhere or purchased by any known currency, so get it while you can.
Meditate on it daily
Studying and meditation go together , studying gives you knowledge of the Word but meditation brings you into the experience.
Practice Selflessness in everything.....
I hope you enjoyed this article, stay tuned for more inspiring content.
-Victor Nwulu
#inspire #content #writing #evolve