Me, myself and I mentality

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In this world, we are somehow motivated by what matters to us. Anything that doesn't add to us physically or financially is treated as unimportant.

This attitude is displayed daily as we hustle in life to put food on our table. This mentality is not something that will die among man anytime soon.

As human beings, we have this desire to acquire and own things to ourselves.

This was explained by John Locke in his social contract. In his book entitled The Second Treatise of Government (1690), Locke talks about property rights. This, he claims is evident in laws of nature. This laws, he argues, gives man the sole right to appropriate, and exercise control over everything in the world. Things like land, gold, metal and other material stuffs are rights of man.

Later, these rights brings about conflict. It becomes the issue of who owns what first and how who owns anything can adequately protect that which he owns.

This was the reason a social contract was reached and civil society was formed. This same laws of nature have not left man as we only think of acquiring things to ourselves and owning things to ourselves.

In today's society, everyone wants to own cars, lands, houses, and children to themselves. For them, only this can satisfy them.

So this desire to acquire has blinded us to see man from another angle. If a car is our own, we tend to take good care of it more than when it is owned by a friend or someone we don't know.

Similarly, when we are in our own house, we tend to take care of everything there from plumbing to interior and exterior. But if it is a rented apartment, we care less about what happens after we leave.

In most cases, you see electrical works destroyed, plumbing destroyed and many holes on the walls that a new tenant needs to spend huge amount of money to get the place back in shape.

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What about kids/children? It is the same. We see our children as ours and care more for them above other children out there.

The truth is, these your children could be others children and these children you care less about could have been yours if God wants it. In this case, you would have cared for them in this scenario.

I could remember when i went to the hospital and many of us were there standing and needed something to sit. As soon as there was a space, a woman quickly spread her child legs to occupy that space saying ' my baby needs to rest'!! I was just speechless! She thought we are not children of some mothers too and we needed to rest.

This is a problem. We focus more on 'I, myself, me, my family' and neglect others.

The position you are today, is not by your power. You could have been in another position. That car could have been someone else's own.

As a matter of fact, we own nothing! For the children, they are gifts from God and He owns them. We are nothing but a care taker.

For the cars, lands and houses, we are mere owners because we have breath. Once that is taken away, it becomes properties of others.

So why not humble yourself and leave the self for 'us', 'we' and humanity at large. Truth is, no one is self sufficient so be compassionate and see all as one and equal.

Thanks for your time.