Oct 3, 2009

Inspired..!

I am never really inspired by any words of wisdom or any human being as such. Neither do any acts nor do any words of preaching make me alter my way of looking at life. I live by my own principles and thoughts.

For the first time, I happened to get inspired from this one book I read recently. It left such an impact on me that today I know what I lack and what I ought to change in me to improve my weaknesses.

The book differentiated between "selfish" people and "selfless" people. But the shocking aspect was that it upheld the values of selfish people and made them seem nobler than selfless people. The book said that selfless people preach altruism and consider others before self. The selfish people consider self before others. But there's no wrong to it. These so called selfless people are always bothered about others. They give charities, attend preachings by religious saints, act as philanthropists; but they do it only for the world to say that they are noble individuals. They want to be seen as great, they want other people to help them to fame and achieve the goals they had set for themselves. Their lives have no meaning. Such people are also called as "second-handers".

God has given each individual his own ability to think and decide. Each human has the right to think his own way and live & decide for himself. Selfish people think about self. These selfish people were the "creators". Creators of various inventions that are helping us live our lives today. But they never thought of others when they created something. The creators of "fire", "wheel" were all shunned in the very beginning. These creators thought individually because they had a selfish vision which helped them create with their own thought-process. Every man who invented, invented because he needed it for his own self. Such selfishness which leads to the betterment of all cannot be wrong.

The "second-handers" as mentioned above, do not have any brain of their own. They always want to know what others think of them. They quote famous proverbs and cliches rather than making their own. They act in order to be noticed, praised, to become famous. They have no life. They follow, copy, and act as desired by others. They think with umpteen other brains but forget that they have been given one by the Almighty. The best example is the fad for "zero-size". No one ever thought for himself whether it was correct or whether it brought happiness to one. No one ever aspired & worked for zero-size because it was their vision. All who worked for it, worked because a famous celebrity and the society preached that it makes one look stunning and ravishing. These "second-handers" were selfless, because they achieved that coveted body just so that others could look at them and include them in the elite category of "zero-size".

"Second-handers" believe in collectivism and selfish people believe in individualism, the self. The selfish or the creator always stands alone because he is opposed by many, who are the "second-handers". These "second-handers" do not have the courage to be the one who is correct and hence, opposed. If the society keeps thinking in such a manner then, true progress will never be attainable. Selfish people aren't bad. It's just that since ages our forefathers considered the word "selfish" to be a synonym for "evil". And just because we are "second-handers", we kept believing in this trend all throughout. It's time to break out of our so-called thinking which is based on others and have our own say on everything that concerns self.

Being selfish does NOT mean being rude and hurting others for pleasure of self. Truly selfish people never derive happiness or sorrow from others. They get it from their "self". Others never come into the picture. Being selfish means living for self without thinking what others would think of one. They are independent and free of all prejudices. They think, create, destroy, but all for their own self.

Lastly, the greatest irony is that I would love to follow all what the author has preached in his book and start being selfish, but then, wouldn't it make me a "second-hander"?

10 comments:

Vishal... said...

wow...its very sincerely written.

god bless. :)

dyanna said...

I like your blog very much.I'm waiting for your new posts.

Tabernacle of Serenity said...

hey pooja, nice blog.. gud work :)

Unknown said...

The book changed my life too....I always was selfish but considered it a flaw rather than virtue....its the kinda book which stays with you...
Thnx for posting the blog ppl are always anxious to critisize Ayn Rand mainly becoz they dun get her or becoz they are the 2nd handers while we the followers nd the worshppers of Ego never defend or xplain becoz others dun matter...its gud tht you have taken an intiative...
Proud to be selfish...to hell with charity

Karthik said...

The Fountainhead is certainly effective. I couldn't read anything for the next one month, for my head was fully occupied with Howard Roark. But the book left me with a lot of questions unanswered and I got the answers only after I read almost every word written by Ayn Rand. But one thing is sure: if one doesn't understand her philosophies properly, he/she is gonna end up becoming a weird creature.
I strongly recommend you to read her next book, "Atlas Shrugged." The Fountainhead is a theory, and Atlas Shrugged is its practical application.
Happy reading! Happy Diwali once again! Have fun! :)

yayavar said...

i too was i suppose never so much inspired by any book person etc. than this book but now on retrospection on 6 years i feel each person is diffrent and u may adore roark but cant copy him ...one has to find what can we follow..for ex if u give a poor child who is eager to learn a book i dont thnk there is harm in it n tat does nt make u a scond hander
annyway b.o.l

Unknown said...

hey its a nice blog

Unknown said...

@ Nupur.. Thanks sweetie n Well said.. :-)

@ Karthik.. Yeah..I did want to read Atlas Shrugged.. Now after your suggestion, I wont make any delay...

@ ankit.. very true.. i'll take note of that.. :-)

@ ganesh.. thanks.. :-)

VeeKay said...

Well well well,U said people who brag about deeds to call themselves noble are selfless and second handers..But the controversy here is how many of the selfless people do we actually know who do service for the world by ruining their own lives..Think..:) nice expression of thought..:)

Unknown said...

@ Vishal, dyanna, Tabernacle of Serenity.. Thanks a lot to all.. :-)

@ vamsi.. hmm.. thinkable.. anyway.. thanks.. :-)