During a Toastmasters meeting, one of the members gave a speech about Enlightened Self-Interest. Like most others in the room, I hadn’t heard of the term before. The speaker prompted us to consider what we thought it meant, and I found the exercise super thought-provoking, especially once she explained what it really meant.
So what do you think enlightened self-interest means? Take a think before reading my journal below, and then maybe consider journaling out your own thoughts around it!
Dear Brave Soul,
Below is one of my personal journal entries, and as such, I’ve not written it with the intention of an audience. I’ve decided to share some of these reflections with you based on two desires:
1) to remember I am not alone — sharing my raw thoughts and being vulnerable may allow me to connect with others who have similar thoughts/feelings/experiences (aka, I’d love to hear from you!)
2) to remember I am not my ego — I believe we all have a right to share our opinions. However, for much of my life, even still, it’s been difficult for me to express myself out of fear someone will respond negatively. Being vulnerable and opening up with my potentially esoteric, or even controversial, thoughts is me facing that fear, and I understand it may very well cause my ego pain.
To note, these entries are largely unedited, though if I’ve added/clarified anything, you will see a ‘[…]’.
Sincerely,
my Dying Ego
March 2, 2022
Enlightened Self-Interest. Yesterday, [someone] brought up this idea during her speech in Toastmasters. She asked us what we thought it might mean, and similar to the lines I was thinking, one woman spoke up asking if it might be awareness around taking care of your own needs. Honestly, I still think that’s the better definition, because what it [apparently] means is the philosophical idea that anything you do for the good of others [is selfish], because it ultimately benefits you. Which I totally get, and if you’re aware of this idea, then yes you could say you were enlightened to the idea, but–and not that it’s probably a point belaboring over–I’d argue… well, you know what? Forget I said that. I’m realizing that the person who must’ve coined the term: enlightened self-interest, must have been coming more from the perspective that the idea of self-interest is selfish. Sometimes it is of course, but sometimes it is completely necessary and healthy. I suppose most people these days might allude to it more as self-care.
Initially though, when asked the question, what do you think this term means? I immediately thought about personal development, and the idea of having the awareness of how important it is to be curious about yourself and explore your existence–why you’re here, to realize how beautiful life [is], how intricate all the details are, to learn more about the world by diving into your mind and how it reflects as the physical world. Basically, to be aware of how important it is to be curious about who you are, and how important personal growth is for you to show up as who you truly are in this world, and not as who you think society wants you to be. Which is separate from the idea of self-care, though I admit the act of being curious about yourself can be very grounding and nurturing.
Back to the idea of giving to others being selfish. This is not the first time I’ve encountered this idea, in fact, I’m not quite sure if it’s something I realized, or if it was a realization inspired by someone or many, but I see that so many of our relationships with things are selfish. And that the love we may claim to have for someone is actually selfish, because depending on your intention, you may only be loving someone because you want them to love you in return. This idea is something so intriguing to me, and I’d love to explore it further.
Author Bio: Hi, I’m Bethany! Over the past 12 years, I’ve been on a winding journey in search of healing. I created Love myHealth as an outlet to share my story and empower others. I’m passionate about all things health, but what intrigues me most, is the healing essence of an empowering mindset. Some of my favorite things in life include acro yoga, walking under the stars, life-changing conversations with strangers, and food (most notably: gluten-free pizza and nice cream.)