Self-reflection
This time, it’s not business, it’s personal . . .
By chris danilo on Jul 10, 2017 05:00 am
If we cared more about other people’s business, we’d do better in our own business. Let me explain. If it’s truly just business and not personal, it’s easier to excuse ourselves from the emotional labor otherwise required. If it’s truly just transactional (trading dollars for a service) then it’s easier to view people as profit centers, dollar values, and less like people at all. So wait . . . how does caring help? By treating humans like humans, we create the one thing that actually matters at the end of our lives; relationships. By prioritizing our relationships, we build trust with others. We build a community. We build a network of people who believe in us, who will support us, and who just might even follow us into the unknown. But if all we care about is the transaction right now, we, by default, begin to erode our future with them. The more they feel like a transaction, the less they trust us to look out for them. The less they trust us, the more likely they will hide information and act in their own self-interest. And can you blame them? We’ve just positioned our business’ values against their values. We’re no longer aligned. Of course there will be friction! If we spend our lives truly looking out for the best interest in others, it’s more likely that others will have our backs, too. And isn’t that the kind of world we want to live in? One where we’ve all got each others’ backs? Too bad we don’t measure reciprocation on the axis of dollars.
2 Minute Action
Who is someone important to you that you haven’t talk to in a while? Take 2 minutes to record a selfie-video or write a quick text to let them know you’re thinking of them.
It might only take you 2 minutes, but it will mean the world to them.
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Welcome to Strategic Altruism where I wrestle with entrenched ideals and philosophies to form mostly unpopular opinions about how to be a good person. It's a racket.