127. egotistical utilitarianism

We all talk about how the world is headed in the wrong direction, and that someone needs to do something about it. Yet, we never seem to elect ourselves to right the ship. None of us do much of anything unless it becomes personal. Intellectually, we talk about doing this or that because it makes sense, but realistically we don’t take action until it trespasses our walls and begins to affect us, our family, or those who we hold closest. Some might say that is a selfish approach to solving the world’s problems, but what if that action we hold off on taking, the one we have a personal investment in, no matter how selfish it may seem, is the right choice each of us can make to create a better world, today?

Instead of complaining about the rising tide, why not learn to swim. The seemingly selfish effort put into developing an individual skill, can just as easily be seen as selfless when we use it to help those caught in the current.