Yesterday whilst writing about a couple of events in my day I began to ask myself why it is that people are selfish and why they do selfish things. I began to think about the birds in the garden when I put out food for them and what they do. It goes something like this: I put bread pieces or bacon fat on the lawn and I wait. A short time later the first bird will appear, maybe a blackbird or a thrush and it will weigh up the situation, snatch a piece of food, perhaps eating it or flying off with it somewhere first. Before long other birds swoop down and it becomes a battle field, winner takes all affair. I watch as birds snatch pieces from one another in a free-for-all way. I might be excused for thinking that they are aggressive but in fact they are simply trying to survive. It matters not one iota to them if they steal each other’s food. What other birds do, they do themselves.
As human beings we are supposed to be more civilised. We are supposed to possess reason and have a sense of supporting each other in times of trouble. When the chips are down and as a group of people forced together in a life-or-death situation we rally round and help each other, often performing heroic things so save the other person. Where there is no danger, where we have no reason to associate with others all the rules often fly out of the window and we act selfishly. Well some of us do! Why do you suppose we act this way? Why do good things only when necessary? Why not act selflessly all the time? I’ll leave that question for you to ponder.
Shirley Anne
