Me? No You.

I think the world would be a much better place if people listened more to one another. If individuals contributed to the world, without only focusing on what they'd benefit from it.

I mean think of the things it would accomplish; world hunger, poverty, depression.

Isn't most depression caused by people feeling neglected and not wanted? I'm not saying depression is controllable- it is a disease-but it's certainly not questionable why the parents who become consumed with their own lives don't notice that their child is suicidal, or abusing drugs.

Neglect and narcissism is what has caused so many of the world's problems. It explains why millions are starving and homeless, left without health insurance or clean water. It's why the 99% even exists.

What if we weren't concerned about our own money, our own well-being, our own happiness…would we focus our attention on helping others achieve that?

It's okay to care for oneself, of course it is. We need to be alive and well before we can help others, before we can be an active part of others' lives. But why is it that when we have all of this - health, happiness, security - we still feel the need to keep everything for ourselves? Is it not enough to just be doing fine in order to turn our attention outwards? Has this world conditioned us to think that if we're not at the top, nobody else deserves to be? It's like we always need better and more.

What we need is more humbleness in this world. More people who are accepting of other's help, who care more about contributing, and who can stop the greedy tendencies to give a share to someone who needs it. We could use more people who don't spend their time inflating their heads with ideas that they are the most powerful human beings.

Obviously we shouldn't give all of our money away to any person we see on the street, but when we see those commercials of african children dying of hunger, what makes most of America change the channel and say "someone else can do it, I need my money."?

Because first of all, if you're even watching television you sure don't need the money as much as a person without a parcel to eat does.

I hope most of you reading this are saying "I give to charity all the time" and I do commend you for that, it is an honorable deed that we should all perform if we have the means to.

But what if we look at something less dramatic, something we deal with daily? Like helping out a friend who needs a ride, or lending someone fifty cents to buy lunch, or even sitting to listen to your classmate talk about her never-ending fascination with sloths? Why do we do these things, why should people care about others?

If you were a narcissist, you'd say "I don't care and I wouldn't do those things because I don't get anything out of it." and you'd probably end up being very alone and troubled for a long part of your life. Because let's face it, nobody wants to be around a person who doesn't make them feel good in some way or another.

It's not rewarding to be around someone who doesn't give back to what you've been giving, who doesn't listen to the one word you say when you've spent the other 90% of the time listening to them. We learn that in basic psychology, there needs to be some sort of balance in all of the relationships we have. If all we do is sit and listen to the other person blab for three hours about themselves and then watch them look around the room carelessly once we open our mouths to speak, what makes us want to pick up the phone and say "let's totally do that again?" it's not satisfying and it's just exhausting. Because we're not robots, and we're all looking for pleasure and affection. 

But we're getting off topic.

I personally think that being caught up in oneself is redundant and self destructive. I mean, hello! We've known ourselves our entire lives. We spend every waking moment with ourselves so why wouldn't we want to invite someone else into the picture? I'm sure we can spare one moment of being with our old selves to share an experience with another human being. To distract us from the person that has become boring to pay attention to by now. We need to ask questions, have conversations, build relationships.

Because as human beings, we're social creatures. That is the way it has always been. From the tightly knitted villages in the old times to the "circle of friends" social networking sites now, we've always been accustomed to having relationships with others.

We're not meant to be alone, we're not made to stay in a room with ourselves isolated for all eternity and shouldn't wonder why people who do that become depressed and suicidal. Interaction is necessary.

We're meant to make ties with other people, share our lives, and invite them into ours. We're supposed to talk, smile, laugh, acknowledge others.
What's the point of life if we don't share it with at least one other person? If we keep everything to ourselves and look straight ahead, just thinking about our own lives, how can others give us knowledge?

I believe someone who is egoistic is ignorant. I don't understand how they could possibly be that knowledgable if the only thing they know is their own life, and their own needs.

Growing up, my family always taught me to be open minded, and to never judge others. To always open myself up to learning about someone else's ways and ask questions and be inviting because that is what expands your mind.

What if we all lived by these words?

Hell, there'd be no such thing as racism, antisemitism, homophobia. Because the causes of all of that are simple; egoism. By only having the knowledge about one's own life, one's own religion, one's own opinions. If we never ask questions about anybody else, how are we supposed to expand our minds? How the hell are we supposed to understand another lifestyle if we only know our own and don't make any efforts to learn about theirs?

Contributing and caring about others' lives is what makes the world go round. That's what takes society forward.

Only when we open our own hearts to the world can we hold someone else's and absorb all the knowledge it has to offer. And that's what life is all about. Caring for other people and letting others care for you. You can't do it alone and shouldn't try to.

The world needs less Scrooges and Hitlers, and needs more Gandhis and Dalai Lamas. Hell, maybe not even Gandhis…just people who aren't so caught up in their own nonsense about their money, looks, and materials.

Nobody wants to spend their time listening to you indulge about your shoe collection or the fact that you have all these "cool skills and money" that you want to keep for yourself. Because life needs balance. You need to give as much as you take. You need to listen to others when they listen to you, and you need to contribute to the world that has brought you all of the things you love.

Because we've all read the Christmas story and we know what happens to Scrooge. We've read the history books and know what has happened to Hitler.

Go be a John Lennon and write a song about peace that the world still sings decades later.

Next time you're with someone just ask. Absorb some knowledge and insight about their lives. Learn something about the endless diversity of our world. Contribute, care.

Because if we died tomorrow, we'd sure as hell be happier leaving this Earth knowing that we made the world a little bit better just by being the open minded, loving person we can be.