Being Selfish

Readers who read my blogs have an impression of me being virtuous man. It’s not entirely true. As a person, I am selfish and care about myself more than any. I don’t think there is anything wrong in it and I won’t shy away from admitting it. Humans are inherently selfish.

Abraham Lincoln once said every human put his self-interest into consideration in whatever he does. I couldn’t agree more! Indeed, he is right. When I do something for someone, I expect those around me to reciprocate or at least appreciate. Just for appreciation, I do benevolent things, which I will not do otherwise. In my previous blog, I’m mentioned about trip to Goa (http://21stcenturyindianthinking2.blogspot.in/2017/05/smile-in-train.html). Here is one such incidence from Goa, where I did something complete out of self-interest, but outcome turned out to be different.

         As you all know I’ve a track record of being late (mentioned it in one of the earlier blog http://21stcenturyindianthinking2.blogspot.in/2017/04/a-smile-mall.html). I was supposed to reach Goa before my friends. Nevertheless, my friends arrived there earlier. My bestie was coordinating with all of us, she made so many calls, by the time they reached Goa she had no balance left in her phone. In her last call, she said, “I won’t be able to make or pick any calls as roaming charges are applicable”. She then, asked me to call others and get the co-ordinates of the place. It can be hard to recharge phone when your roaming, but not for those who know to make use of technology. I thought Sardar(ni) kush hoga(hogi) Shabashi dega(degi). I recharged her phone online. When I reached Goa, I called on her phone. She gave me co-ordinates, before she dropped the call, I said, “your phone is working, then why did you lie to me that you don’t have balance”. She had no clue how her phone was connected. Later that evening when we got tired of partying, we all gathered in Hotel and started our late night talks. 

Sensing an opportunity, I brought up the same topic again. Hoping for gratitude for what I had done earlier. I then asked, “how is your phone working still?”  She said I miraculously got recharge in my phone, must be Airtel. I’m so Lucky. The moment she said that there was this glow of happiness on her face. I dig into matter further; I wanted all friends sitting there to know it was me. So I asked “Aise Kaise” How is it possible! We all are using mobile from ages, we never got a single recharge for free. How is it that only you got recharge? She said not everyone has same luck, I’m special. I wanted to say there is no such thing as “luck”. I had recharged it. However, I couldn’t say. Her happiness on being lucky overweighs my desire to be appreciated. I didn’t want to quash her happiness by my selfish interest. Therefore, I let it go. After talks got over and we were about to leave. One of the friend took me in corner and said she wasn’t lucky or anything. It was you, who recharged her phone. Didn’t you? I was perplexed. I wonder what to say. I replied ‘Yeah, it was me but promise you won’t tell anyone’. I don’t know why I took that promise. I should have done contrary. It was my only chance to be recognized and appreciated. But, Instead I kept it a secret. Which was wholly against my principle of being selfish. Some times our mind works bizarrely. However, keeping it secret paid off quite well. There were so many good moments in trip. Yet she kept on bragging about how lucky she was on getting that recharge. Every time she was over joyed & started bragging about how lucky she is, very next movement my other friend would look at me and smile. That use to make me happy. It’s surprising how a little secret can bring so much happiness.

You don’t always have to do transformational things to make someone happy or be happy. It is these small deeds, which really counts.

Try it and see for yourself

By the way, I’m still same selfish creature. I won’t give up on being selfish so easily. It’s just that, sometimes seeing others happy makes me happy. I wrote this in the hope that, when my bestie sees this, she would burst laughing and then pay me back for recharge, LOL.