I awoke to a thought this morning. Honestly, I have had the same thought for several days now. We are or maybe always have been self-centered. Is self-centeredness a problem? Self-centeredness is the preoccupation with oneself and one’s affairs.1
Stop to consider. Are you consumed with oneself and one’s own affairs? How did you arrive at the preoccupation with oneself or not? When did you conclude that your own affairs or oneself were the only idea to consider when interacting with so many others? Do most Americans value and reward self-centeredness?
So much of what we do in our jobs or professions involve others, but yet, as humans (perhaps in my limited sphere) we remain self-centered. If our job(s) or profession(s) is to help or aid others, why is the underlining theme revolve around the personal benefit. In so many magazines that I do read, I find “tips” or “strategies” that would aid in career or professional advancement. The actions suggested by these magazines do ask that you (or the one seeking advancement) do things (i.e. buy coffee, make phone calls, sponsor parties, etc.) for others that have great social influence than you (networking), but each article concludes with a perceived social benefit to those call to actions. Are these actions genuine? How might these actions be perceived by the one receiving them?
First, self-centeredness potentially suggest that what is done for others, there is something in it for you. That is not true! If the world is strung-out on self-centeredness, the person receiving what is done, may not every equate value to what is being done for them or the cause.
Second, self-centeredness potentially lead to thinking that people are easily interchangeable. Pierre Bourdieu, a French sociologist, expressed concern with the social world and knew of a need to reintroduce the idea of capital2 (i.e. social, cultural, etc.) to prevent the social world from being “reduced to a discontinuous series of instantaneous mechanical equilibria between agents who are treated as interchangeable particles” (p. 241) The value is in the accumulated capital and character. The key is healthy interaction and accumulated labor or capital in sustained human relations. It is to hope that the interchangeability idea potentially receives a firm challenge.
Third, self-centeredness potentially lead to thinking that you control the outcomes of interacting with others. Communication is a two way street. Challenge self-centeredness by understanding the focus is not on self or in this case other people, but on the mission of the institution that serve people. If you are interacting with others with the mission of the institution in mind and the future interaction with others do not go well with the promotion of the mission, you have done your best. Buy coffee, making phone calls, sponsoring parties, etc may aid in promoting the mission, but does not guarantee it.
I conclude; self-centeredness is a problem. Continuity of the mission and enhancing the knowledge networks are critical in sustained human relations, which is the goal not the self.
1 Dictionary.app 2.0.2, Copyright 2005-2008 Apple Inc.
2 “The Forms of Capital”
