Why Selfless Service is Rare?

In today’s fast-paced materialistic world, almost everyone is chasing selfish goals. Now what do I mean by selfish goals? Everything that we do is to meet our own selfish needs or wants. Be it chasing money, power, fame or love. In the end, it’s what’s in for me. If there is nothing for me, why should I put in the effort? Because then there is no return on investment. Is that the reason selfless service is rare? What if I tell you that our selfless service is not for others but for us? Why and what does it return to us? Let’s delve in more in the post, why selfless service is rare and why we need a paradigm shift in how we perceive selfless service.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

~ Mahatma Gandhi

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Why Selfless Service is Rare?

Before we dive into why selfless service is rare, it’s worthwhile to explore why we are selfish? Selfishness is primarily driven by our ego. It is our ego, which is our conscious self, that tries to protect us and provide security against external uncertainties. It tries to maintain a sense of security by controlling external outcomes. The ego creates a sense of individual identity, fostering separateness from others. This leads to self-centered desires, attachments and constant pursuit of self-gratification. So the ego prioritizes our self-protection first. Thus, I come first. Therefore, unselfishness behaviours and acts become rare.

When everyone is busy pursuing material gains and sensual pleasures, either in terms of possessions or relationships, who has the time to even contemplate selflessness or serving others with no expectation in return? Because the pursuit of selfish desires is endless, it’s a trap. The happiness we derive from these sensual pleasures is fleeting. Even if it satisfies our craving today, tomorrow we feel the same void wanting more of the same craving. These cravings only snowballs becoming insatiable and impossible to satisfy, and that can not provide lasting happiness.

What’s in For Me in Selfless Service?

But then the question may be, is it bad to prioritise our well-being first? Is it really unvirtuous to be selfish? Rather, what’s in for me in selflessness and selfless service?

Selflessness is a virtue that helps transcend our ego, which is only about external validations to protect our individual or conscious self. Whereas selflessness helps up turn inwards and connect to our true self or our soul, which is connected to the universal self. Just imagine when a child is born, it doesn’t have any ego. Its soul doesn’t have the layers of shields that the ego creates to protect from the external world. But these shields of protection are nothing but illusions that separate us from others and the universe. We live in an interconnected universe. Most of the time, we don’t realize that. Think we are separate. Our connection to the universe enabled our evolution as human beings and continued connection ensures our survival. Only recently, quantum physicists have been trying to understand the science behind our connection to the universe.

Discover Ourself

Often, we cannot find the purpose of our lives. That’s primarily because we are running on the hedonic treadmill. In the materialistic rat race, we try to satisfy our selfish desires. These selfish desires only provide instant gratification, leaving us yearning for more, never truly providing fulfillment or lasting happiness. We spend our lives chasing these fleeting aggrandizements, but don’t take a moment to discover who we truly are. The gratification that we crave is an illusion made by our minds that embodies our true selves, our souls.

Only when we look inward into our souls, transcending our bodily and worldly needs, we can connect with our souls. Our true self is selfless; that is, that is in unity with all other human beings, creatures and the universe. It is only when we try to realize our true selves that we discover ourselves. Who we truly are. That is the beginning of a desire for selfless service to others with no selfish expectations. Only when we serve others with no selfish motive, we discover our true self.

Find God

Now how does selfless service lead us to God? We all have different interpretations of God. For some, it may even be the question of what or who God is. Whatever our faith and understanding are, there is something much bigger than what we perceive to be through science. There is so much that science cannot explain, something beyond our comprehension that governs the universe, all the life forms that we are aware of in this world. The pursuit of seeking who we truly are and how we connect to the universe in unity is my understanding of God. Only when we transcend beyond our selfish desires and serve others selflessly, we peel the layers of material illusions that blind us. That leads us to God.

Attain Eternal Inner Peace

Have you ever felt eternal bliss when you help someone with no selfish motive? Be it helping a stranger on the road, volunteering, donating blood, or giving to charity. Why do we feel that inner peace, a sense of happiness that is not fleeting but more lasting? In this materialistic world filled with stress, anxiety, and worry, what provides eternal inner peace? The only way to achieve that elusive inner peace is to serve others selflessly as much as we can. They can be small deeds driven by love, kindness and generosity. One thing that we rarely realize is that we live in an interconnected world and universe. Remember, I exist because we exist.

Conclusion on Why Selfless Service is Rare?

Then the question arises even if we try to become selfless, how do we find time to provide selfless service to others? Because everyone is trying to meet their basic needs first and then their wants. The realization here is that our selfish desires or wants are not reflective of our true selves. That is not who we truly are. We come into this world naked with nothing and shall leave naked with nothing. Then, these worldly, materialistic wants don’t truly define us. Beyond what we really need to live a fulfilling life, everything incremental is driven by our greed that we don’t truly need. They are driven by selfish desires are instantaneous gratification that is fleeting and never provides lasting happiness.

If we can start realizing that unselfishness is the true path to eternal happiness, selfless service can no longer be rare. We can start taking baby steps towards selfless service to others. Be it to our fellow human beings or all living beings on this planet. That is the path to God and our eternal inner peace.