Paul_Chance
The Watcher
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2011
- Posts
- 21,625
How thoughtful are you? Are you thoughtful only when it's convenient for you. Are you thoughtful only when it benefits you? Are you thoughtful at all times no matter the situation? Are there times when it's better to be selfish rather than thoughtful?
I know, lots of questions. Feel free to answer one, none, or all. See how thoughtful I am![]()
Well, how thoughtful I am may vary on perspective. I may not be as thoughtful as I think I am or I may be perceived as more thoughtful than I think I am.
I move very deliberately through my day, with an eye toward the karma that adheres to what I say and do, to how I interact with other people and the world around me. I can get pulled out of the moment by circumstances, but in general I am very deliberate, considerate and thoughtful.
I make a deliberate effort to be extra thoughtful when I am in difficult circumstances, so no, not only when it is convenient for me. Being thoughtful only when it benefits me would seem a bit manipulative, but I do benefit from being thoughtful - it brings me peace, it bonds me with the other human beings and creatures I encounter, and I prefer to move through the world with compassion for all beings.
All in all, I think it is actually very selfish behavior, in that, being compassionate I find happiness and am free from suffering. It is simultaneously unselfish behavior because I consciously act and speak to help other beings find happiness and be free from suffering.
I fail at it often enough, but I recenter and simply try again.