...we are not born for ourselves alone...men were brought into being for the sake of men, that they might do good to one another. - Cicero
I find it interesting that even those who view right and wrong as matters of personal opinion rather than objective qualities still expect certain behavior of those in positions of authority. We expect our parents and guardians, bosses and supervisors, elected officials, generals and police chiefs, etc. to wield their authority for our good and for the good of all of those affected by that authority. When they fail to do so, we feel as if some moral rule has been broken, even if not a legal one.
What we sometimes fail to understand is that the same moral rule applies to ourselves, whether or not we are in positions of authority. It’s a universal rule of human nature that we only feel we are making the most of our existence when we are doing good for others. We intuit that we only have so much time allotted to us; our bones, organs, and muscles have an expiration date; and that whatever little pleasures and treasures we’ve piled up for ourselves mean very little when we’re dead. There’s nothing inherently wrong with little pleasures and treasures, but they provide a poor return on our investment of time, energy, resources, and vitality.
The good we do for others doesn’t have to be grandiose and shouldn’t be insincere. A word of encouragement, a small act of selflessness, or even just being a reliable and calming presence is often enough to assure our souls that we are leaning into our reason for being.
That is a joy deeper and more meaningful than anything money can buy.
