Somebody's Being Selfish
"Mine! Mine!"
"Give it back!"
WHAP!!!!!
"EEEEAGHHHHH!! I'm telling Mo-oooom!"
Oh, the blissful words of children at play.
Through the course of raising five kids, I've heard several such conversations along the way.
Whenever there's an interaction like that -- I can guarantee you something: somebody is being selfish!!
Now,here's an interesting observation -- grown ups can act like that too.
A person might be 60 years old and still be childish and prone to temper tantrums. "Mine! Mine! I want my way or else!" WHAP!!
When a person is petty, demanding, and insensitive, it's a trial for everyone involved. When the fur flies in the squabble, I can guarantee you something:
somebody's being selfish!
The reflective Kentucky monk, Thomas Merton said, "To consider persons and events and situations only in the light of their effect upon myself is to live on the doorstep of hell."
Self-centeredness is the root of most conflict. Show me a workplace, a community, or an organization full of strife and conflict, and I'll guarantee you something: somebody's being selfish!
Show me a family feud and I'll show you layers of selfishness just beneath the surface.
God help us to look beyond ourselves and unto the needs of others.
"Selfishness must be discovered and understood before it can be removed," said the New Zealand statesman, James Allen, "It is powerless to remove itself, neither will it pass away of itself. Darkness ceases only when light is introduced; so ignorance can only be dispersed by Knowledge; selfishness by Love."
"Give it back!"
WHAP!!!!!
"EEEEAGHHHHH!! I'm telling Mo-oooom!"
Oh, the blissful words of children at play.
Through the course of raising five kids, I've heard several such conversations along the way.
Whenever there's an interaction like that -- I can guarantee you something: somebody is being selfish!!
Now,here's an interesting observation -- grown ups can act like that too.
A person might be 60 years old and still be childish and prone to temper tantrums. "Mine! Mine! I want my way or else!" WHAP!!
When a person is petty, demanding, and insensitive, it's a trial for everyone involved. When the fur flies in the squabble, I can guarantee you something:
somebody's being selfish!
The reflective Kentucky monk, Thomas Merton said, "To consider persons and events and situations only in the light of their effect upon myself is to live on the doorstep of hell."
Self-centeredness is the root of most conflict. Show me a workplace, a community, or an organization full of strife and conflict, and I'll guarantee you something: somebody's being selfish!
Show me a family feud and I'll show you layers of selfishness just beneath the surface.
God help us to look beyond ourselves and unto the needs of others.
"Selfishness must be discovered and understood before it can be removed," said the New Zealand statesman, James Allen, "It is powerless to remove itself, neither will it pass away of itself. Darkness ceases only when light is introduced; so ignorance can only be dispersed by Knowledge; selfishness by Love."
One of the best posts you have had in a while.
ReplyDeleteSeems to me that the selfishness starts out usually with the phrase "I Deserve"
ReplyDeleteEveryone thinks they are owed something. I blame it on all these feel good Oprahs and Dr Phils on TV.
"I DESERVE" has certainly caused me a lot of problems.
ReplyDeleteSince becoming aware that Jesus died to pay my way... the "I DESERVE"s have come less frequently.
There was a huge hole.. a chasm, that I was trying to fill with my "I deserves". It didn't work.
The best way to fill it is Jesus.