In the 21st century, our lives have become more challenging than it used to be. In such an environment, we feel less secured and tend to be vulnerable to many forces which make us more selfish and protective of ourselves.
There are people who believe that to survive in such difficult times, it is alright to be selfish, while others may not agree with the idea of being self-protective. In my opinion, I definitely believe that the practice of selfishness is not something that I admire or respect for the following reasons. When we just care for ourselves, we become more vulnerable, sharing with others brings us security and we will win the hearts of others.
First, it is wrong to believe that if I am self-protective I will be saving oneself from danger. In actual fact, we will become more vulnerable from many other forces. For instance, like the dictator Gaddafi, who was so selfish and always thinks only about himself. At the end of the day, he is the one who had to run away from his own people. If we are too selfish, we will face the same consequences in the near future just like others and there will be no end to uncertainty.
Second, sharing our love and respect with others increases our security and protection from all kinds of harms. For example, a good person does not need to have protection from others. Others will support us and share their respect and love. Like our parents, they are not afraid of their children, because they are very kind and love all their children. If they are self-centered, then the story will be very different.
Finally, if we are less selfish, we will win the hearts of many people. For instance, like HH the Dalai Lama, today he is one of the most respected individuals. He is loved by many people because of his generosity and kind heart. If he has been selfish, he may not be that famous today and hardly anyone will recognize him. Selfishness creates more harm than good and only generosity and good heart will bring permanent security and happiness.
Therefore, if we want to be safe and respected, we must enhance love and respect to others and be less selfish and self-centered.