Living A Live In Selfishness And Greed

An examined life has different meanings for each individual, I am not to say someone life is pointless, yet I believe an unexamined life is rooted in selflessness and giving back. Is it really worth living when you live a selfish life?

You create happiness without meaning. A person who is egotistical is never truly satisfied with what they have and what is given to them, yet a person who is unselfish and humble, is thankful for what is given to them. They gain pleasure and joy from giving and someone else’s happiness, therefore creating life with purpose. “There is magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first; when you learn to live for others, they will live for you”, said Paramhansa Yogananda, highlighting how selflessness is cycle, if you give joy to others they, you will receive joy back.

Some people don't care where they grew up, they are selfish with their time effort, but giving back is so important. To give back to your community, you are taking pride in where you came and to the people who shaped who you are today, which creates meaningful and humane way of living. Giving up time and putting effort into your community is extremely important and a noble thing to do as you need to giveback what was given to you. When giving back to a community or being charitable there are alot ways you can do so. Easiest way of giving back is through your wallet, yet Clothing and books can always be donated to salvation armies or libraries. No matter what surplus you have, there will always be a charity in need. Often when my clothes don’t fit me anymore, I go down to my local vinnies and donate them, this gives me content and happiness knowing that even my small contribution will positively help others lives.

Through examining this choice of mine, I see that my life is worthwhile and very meaningful as my life means something to someone. By donating, volunteering, giving back, your life becomes significant as becomes significant and to someone who is struggling, you never know their life might be surviving off your donations. Philosophy is one the many things that impacts people’s choice today. Australian moral philosopher, Peter Singer has inspired many, especially his 1972 essay ‘Famine, Affluence and Morality. ’ His essay even motivated Toby Ord, an Oxford University scholar to produce a charitable corporation called Giving What We Can (GWWC). Giving what we can is a company in which people give away 10% of their income annually as they work, to some charities operating in Third World countries. Singer argues in his essay, ‘Famine, Affluence and Morality’, that if there are people in poverty elsewhere in the world we can help the, “we ought to give until we reach the level of marginal utility – that is, the level at which, by giving more, I would cause as much suffering to myself or my dependents as I would relieve by my gift. ” Singer’s ideas and lifestyle is not to appeal to everyone, yet even the smallest donation or effort into giving back will make a difference. Through what Singer is saying, it highlights we should give back and contribute to charities until there's an end to suffering. To give back until almost your suffering yourself is nobel and has great purpose.

To live a life knowing that others are suffering, only because maybe they didn't get the same opportunities as you did is selfish yet to donate to those in pain, creates a examined life as it strives a better world. Having a self-absorbed and egotistical lifestyle, is meaningless lifestyle with many consequences. As many writers have said, relationships can be damaged by self-preoccupation, it affects the intimacy and togetherness that all relationships require if they’re to be resilient. Also, a constant self-absorption affects our ability for empathy and truly understanding feelings, emotions and thoughts of others. You will never be able to truly appreciate the greatness of the world that exists outside yourself if most of the time your focus is directed inwards. Also, a selfish lifestyle where you preoccupy about all things personal, can affect content and a strong sense of well-being. If on daily basis, you obsess about anything personal, happiness, satisfaction and mental health will be undurable to attain.

When Socrates stated, “An unexamined life is not worth living”, he is saying that only in seeking to be aware of ourselves and understand ourselves do our lives have value and significance. When examining your life you should question your choices, morals, values and type of lifestyle you have. Although I have emphasized that if you live a selfish lifestyle your life becomes unexamined, if we take it to a further extent it's not just about questioning and examining our personal choices but also the type of society we live in. Most of society live in an egotistical way, focusing on their social media status rather than understanding and striving for a better world. Also, we should challenge societies ethical and unethical nature, is it really right-minded to allow guns? This are things and choice we need examine, if we can’t understand the good in with this type of decision, we are choosing to be immoral without a purpose. “it's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values”, said Roy E. Disney. This helps us to understand that once you know your own morals, you can recognize your reasoning behind your choices. Maybe, we need to question society's values and morals instead their of choices, as they are what driving some our society's unethical and unfair decision. Selfishness and greed, are certainly not some of the values we should have our society based on. This is what we should be questioning and examining.

“It's enough to indulge and to be selfish but true happiness is really when you start giving back”, said Adrian Grenier. In an examined life you must understand what you are living for. I believe an examined life must be established in nobility and selflessness. The kind of people who are altruistic, will receive joy from their giving. An examined life must also have happiness, but to attain that happiness from donating and being considerate of others, will always surpass the satisfaction that selfish people have.