Selfie or Selfish?

Selfie or Selfish?

Yes, we finally admit it! We have arrived at that time in which we, the human race collectively declare that… we feel lonely and left out! We desire to be included, to be seen, to be recognized, to stand out. In fact we want it to be all about us! The ego sticks its face in front of the camera and says, “Hey! Look at me, I exist!”

Audio of Selfie or Selfish? (Music by artistic group – Art of Living)

The sight of people posing with a selfie stick in hand is now commonplace, and we don’t give it a second thought. But anyone arriving from another planet and witnessing these bizarre scenes, would be saying in amazement, “What on earth… ?” It really is an unfathomable fad!

People will even risk their lives to take selfies. More people died in 2015 from taking dangerous selfies, than from shark attacks. The Russian government, concerned about the increasing number of incidents where daring selfies had led to injuries and deaths, released a “Selfie Safety Guide” to warn enthusiasts about common dangerous behaviors.  But as yet there have been no warnings about the harm we can do to our immortal self!

The selfie has to be the epitome of self-centredness, that is ego-based selfishness. What is the intention behind the selfie? Studies suggest that it’s a need for recognition and acknowledgement. What we can’t seem to get from real human relationships, we seek to get from the fleeting fame of the selfie.

As it increasingly becomes all about ‘me’, we have forgotten about ‘we’! How many of us stop to think about the next one after us? When we use cinemas or cafeterias, do we clean up for the next person after us, or reset the chairs for them? Do we take two spaces to park our one car, or think of others and park a little more considerately? Do we put our shopping trolleys back in the right place, so as to not inconvenience other drivers? Do we return things back to where we found them, such as sellotape and scissors, or create agony in others as they spend hours searching for the very thing? We act selfishly most of the time, as though the world only rotates around ‘me’!

There are many examples I could give in which, if we could just stop to think of ‘us’ living and sharing and working as one human race, the world could be a better and more peaceful place.

Of course various factors are at play, and lots of people are just having fun, but it’s really time that we looked at our human motivations and behavior, and not just follow the fold. Think about it, if children and adults were getting the love and attention they really needed from home and family, would they go elsewhere to look for it? If our world consisted of less Facebook friends and more honest and caring relationships. If we really felt part of the human family, would we need to post our mug shots for the world to see?

As we tweet, tumblr and flikr our way to ‘insta-gratification’ and online stardom, we are forgetting the real self, the real star of the show! When we operate from the ‘I’ of pure consciousness and not from the limited self then we don’t feel the need for acknowledgement or affirmation from others, instead we recognize our value. We no longer need to ‘take’. We can give.

And as we become ‘we’ conscious and not ‘I’ conscious, we contribute to the world in a healthy positive way. ‘We’ live on this earth, not just ‘me’.

It’s Time… to take note and not selfies. Life is all about we and not me!

© ‘It’s Time…’ by Aruna Ladva, BK Publications London, UK