Why can’t we all be more selfless?
I have been thinking about the way people interact with each other. Not the ways in which they interact but HOW they interact – how people treat each other.
I am disappointed with the way we treat each other, in our business and our personal lives.
It seems to me every generation of people have become more and more selfish – while we should become more selfless. Don’t think so? Observe people for just a few minutes on the freeway, in the grocery store or even in your next meeting.
I think you will find cars in a hurry to beat you to the next red light; people willing to cut you off in the checkout line to save a few minutes; and people interrupting others in mid sentence and not caring to listen and really understand the thoughts and opinions of their peers.
It’s a sad state of affairs. I would like to offer these simple suggestions to help each of us be more selfless:
- Slow down (just a little).
- Next time you arrive at a stop sign or the grocery store checkout line at the same time as someone else, let them go first.
- Next time you’re in a meeting, listen to what your peers are saying and ask follow up questions so they (and everyone else) know you are interested and are really considering their thoughts and opinions.
Let me know what you think about this list and add to it. Let’s see if we can use this blog to create best practices for interacting with others.
Selflessness suggestion: Empathize. When I am treated rudely — whether in a grocery store or a meeting — before I take offense, I try to remember that person may be having a tough day or week. Seeing things from their point of view can be enlightening . At the very least, it stops me from overreacting.