“No one has learned the meaning of life until he has surrendered his ego to the service of his fellow men.”
–Brian Wolfe
When we enter this world, our ego (sense of self-importance) is very strong and extremely important to our survival. We tend to see only ourselves as important, and we are almost totally unaware of the existence or needs of others. But as we mature, we gradually become aware of the needs of others, and the luckiest of us feel a calling to help our fellow men. Most of us do mature out of the extreme selfishness with which we were born and learn to help others. Some people never grow up emotionally, though. They continue to lavish so much self-love on themselves that they have no love available for anyone else. Such people are called narcissists.
Most of us are neither totally selfish nor totally unselfish. It is only natural to care about ourselves, and there is nothing wrong with doing so as long as we do not do so to the total exclusion of others. Well-adjusted individuals care about themselves as well as others. We must love ourselves and take care of our needs in order to be able to love and care for others. But nobody has ever found happiness through seeking only to gratify himself.
Albert Schweitzer wrote, “The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.” Schweitzer, a man who dedicated his life to helping others, is a shining example of a person who gave up much in order to help the disadvantaged. By the age of 30, Albert Schweitzer had earned an international reputation as a writer on theology, as an organist and an authority on organ building, and as an authority on the life of Johann Sebastian Bach. He could have had an extraordinary career in any of these fields, but he chose to enroll in medical school to prepare himself for service as a medical missionary to Africa. In 1952, Schweitzer won the Nobel Peace Prize for his many years of humanitarian service. He used the $33,000 award that came with the prize to expand his hospital and establish a leper colony.
The extraordinary life of Albert Schweitzer has inspired many people to serve mankind. These people have done much good in the world, and they have found happiness in the process. Yet there are some who are so selfish that they won’t do anything to help others unless there is something in it for them.
Why is it that human beings can be so extremely different in their capacity and desire to serve others?
Think about it.
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Copyright 2024
Allen W. Smith
