Of humans and humanity

Human beings are essentially the most selfish beings on earth. Everything that is done, is done for the benefit of their own self. Let's begin with survival.

Survival simply means the continual living of a being under adverse circumstances. Synonymous with this would be fulfilling the desire to walk this earth and not ascend into the spiritual plane AKA dying. That itself is an act of selfishness as in order for a being to live, another being has to perish.

Survival itself contains thoughts of struggle. As it is generally known, resources are limited on this planet. Heck, it is limited on any other planets itself. So far, we have only known one source of resource that is self-replenishing: The Wind. However, in order to harness that energy, we need to build huge-ass fans and that costs a lot! Money in this sense is that resource which we have to struggle for to obtain in order to harness that so-called renewable energy. In this sense, is wind really renewable? After all, money along with human labour and materials are involved in the formation of such energy harnesser. Those are non-renewable. So is wind really renewable?

What I am trying to derive at here is that nothing is ever renewable if you think it through. Everything depletes eventually. EVERYTHING! It doesn't help that the activities of human beings are merely speeding things up even though it has been lobbied time and again that technological advances will soon save mankind. Will it really fulfil that prophecy? Or would it result in something that is the exact opposite of that? Right now, the only that is perpetual would be the doom of mankind along with all other living beings that will be dragged along due to this selfishness.

Nothing is ever done of out selflessness. Every act of kindness or courage seems to be in dire need of a reward in present times. The Singapore Kindness Movement has got people giving out flowers each time an act of kindness has been performed. The definition of that word has been so skewed that something so sincere now needs an incentive for it to be done. How can that still be termed as an act of selflessness then when the parties involved are fully aware that they MAY be rewarded for doing so?

A wise man once said, "Do not love because you're hoping to be loved. Love for the sake of loving". Alas, this does not exist as an innate ability for Man. Every little act of sincerity has been documented either in material returns or in history books. Sincerity would only qualify only if the act goes unnoticed by all others but by the parties involved. The actor should not receive any form of gratification except to acknowledge that He has done good. He mustn't even hope that his act of kindness would earn him a spot in Heaven. No. That would be selflessness.

I am aware that my thoughts are rather extreme. But when was the last time mankind actually achieve this? Usually, it requires a disaster of some sort to pull all Man together. They create an "Us" and "the other". "Us" are good people while "the others" are simply baddies who are out to get them at all costs.

Nonetheless, it is rather sad to observe that the true spirit of all humankind can only shine only in times of sadness. Selflessness takes over all rational thoughts. Even the thought of death has been erased as each of these heroes go all out to do the extraordinary. Saving a human life becomes an utmost priority while they neglect their own. As the Ranger School at Fort Benning teaches it's cadets, "Mission Comes First".

Again, I have failed to fully comprehend my thoughts as the best of them will only come to me when I least expect it: on my bike or during my runs with no way to pen it down. Perhaps God injected me with these thoughts for the sake of that being just it. But, I will strive to share it with others in hopes of others sharing their thoughts with me.

(Notice how many "I"s there are in the last sentence? That's right, I am selfish too in that sense. I am human after all)