Altruism is not merely a religious ideal; it is an indispensable requirement for humanity at large.

Altruism is not merely a religious ideal; it is an indispensable requirement for humanity at large. – Dalai Lama

This picture was about ending world hunger, according to the blurb. It’s a worthy ambition, even if we don’t get there in our lifetime. What can you do to help in your part of the world to help out?

What does that mean?
This quote reminds us that while altruism is associated with religious orders and organizations, it is an attitude and behavior for all of us. Even those who have no particular religious affiliation or tendencies.

Altruism isn’t just a Christian thing. Nor is it only for Buddhists  It’s not exclusive to any of the religious orders. It is the need, the duty, and the honor of all humanity to act in an altruistic manner. And not just on special days, but on every day.

The quote states the belief that altruism isn’t just a nice idea for all of humanity, but a requirement for all of us. While that sounds a bit strict, imagine what we would be like if we had little to no altruism in this world, and how harsh life would be for us all.

Why is altruism important?  
As a reminder, altruism is defined at theFreeDictionary.com as “Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.” A world without altruism would be a world full of selfish people, who showed little to no concern for anyone else.

There would be no charity, little cooperation, and even less concern for others. In short, we would be no better than the animals in the wild. While there are a few people who are like that, I believe that the vast majority of humanity is far better than that.

While most of us have at least a little altruism in us, nearly all of us has room for some improvement. To me, that is what this quote is about. It is an urge to us to work on one of the most basic human skills, that of altruism. Are you willing to do so?

Where can I apply this in my life?
Altruism is about being unselfish in our concern for others. That’s not always an easy thing to do. Our bodies may well be wired to take care of ourselves first, but our spirits are concerned for others as well. What the quote urges us to do is to spend more time with our better selves.

We will likely never completely give up our need or desire to care for ourselves. That is a necessary part of continuing the species. However, there are plenty of times when others are in need, and we are not threatened in any way shape or form. What do we do then?

These are the times when our ability to be unselfish in our concern for others and their needs comes to the fore. Can we, with a full stomach, turn our backs on someone who is hungry? Can we be unselfish in our prosperity and help someone out of a tight spot?

There are limits, as there do exist people who would take advantage of our generosity. But their greed does not, in my opinion, let us off the hook. We still must help when we can. That is where our challenge is, or at least where mine primarily resides.

It’s hard to help someone who doesn’t appear willing to help themselves. It seems like wasted time, effort, and money. However, everyone hits rock bottom from time to time, and I try to remember my times at the bottom, when it just didn’t seem worth the effort to do much of anything.

Interestingly, that seems to be the time when help, real help, matters the most. I’m not talking about dropping spare change in a cup, but reaching out to the person and making a connection. Letting them know that you care, that you think they are important, even if they themselves do not.

It can be tough to reach out to some people, it can even be dangerous. Some people in that position react more like animals than humans. But that is part of the reason why we must do our best to reach them. People acting that way have lost some vital part of themselves, their heart, their mind, or their spirit.

While most countries have people assigned to help these people, their job often isn’t much more than managing their condition. Yes, there are those who truly want to help, but there are only so many helpers and there are usually many more in need of help.

Fortunately, there are ways we can help. We can start by keeping track of our friends and family, our co-workers and acquaintances. If we can keep them from falling in the first place, everyone’s job is easier. What can you do to help a friend who seems to be having a tough time?

From there, there are plenty of groups, both private and public, which help people deal with their situations. Such groups will always have needs, and you will nearly always have a surplus of something. Can you find a way to put your surplus to good use helping, selflessly, those in need?

Helping others isn’t always easy, but it is the only way for the human race to move forward. It is an indispensable requirement of us, if we are to continue to consider ourselves truly human, or so I believe. Do you agree?

From: Twitter, @DalaiLama
confirmed at : it’s his own feed…
Photo by CitySkylineSouvenir