Altruism and Pain

I don't believe in altruism, although I salute people who think of other people first because their acts result to something positive, as opposed to those who choose to be selfish, there still is a subtle pay-off. Doing good makes them feel good and fulfilled. There is no such thing as absolute selflessness, people do things because they still are benefited or there is a promise of benefit in the future. Which brings me to why doing good still is the better choice at least in most situations. It's like hitting two birds with one stone. But sometimes we are compelled to make decisions which will do good to other people but will break us. It's hard to see where the benefit is, but for a persons like me who's been there, who's done it, the reward of not feeling guilty, though it does not offset the pain, is enough. We hear a lot of insights about thinking of yourself above all, of how the world is a big SURVIVORS' ARENA, but I would argue that PAIN is a promise of good things to come. Pain is like St. John, it arrives to spread the good news of salvation, of better days, of hope.

Pain should be seen as a positive sign. The only thing that will stop the pain from leaving will be if we, as persons, allow ourselves to get disheartened by it. Unfortunately, PAIN sometimes is nothing more than pain. That's when it starts to suck big time.

Sometimes we feel pain that is impossible to drive away, the kind of pain that continuously digs a hole of emptiness within us, the kind that stays stubbornly, the kind that becomes part of our permanent pool of loneliness. Sometimes, we have to learn to live with it, to bring it with us everyday like a BADGE OF HONOR. This kind of pain is unforgiving, it becomes part of us, it becomes one with us. It's the kind of pain that doesn't kill us but makes us stronger. Trade-offs.

Why did I talk about altruism? Because living with that pain is a form of altruism in itself. Being happy despite that pain is selflessness demonstrated. Choosing to continue life amidst the lurking pain and continuing to contribute to the world is something that is an achievement in itself.
Pain is like one's guardian angel. It reminds us to be ready, to not stop feeling... It reminds us that we need to be reminded.