A less popular paradox: In helping others, you help yourself.

by blogrdoc

It seems that the masses are becoming more aware of the paradox that more is less. Just look on any of the self help blogs that are now very popular (e.g. zenhabits, 4HWW, etc… ) However, I’d like to shed light on a less popular, but perhaps even more powerful paradox: when you help others, you help yourself.

Example:

In college, my classmates got so used to getting help from me that I actually started to feel the pressure to learn the material faster and better, just so I could keep up with everyone’s questions! I wasn’t too smart, though, because I remember falling behind and I became unable to help anyone. At which point, I just locked myself in my room and studied.

For 2008, to date, I’ve set aside $466 that will go to house some of the most materially miserable people in the world. $1500 buys a family a house in the Philippines. It’s not a handout either. No one gets a house unless they build one first for someone else.

Of the money I’ve set a side, not a penny of it is coming out of my own pocket. With a wife in medical school, a hefty mortgage and two young kids, I’ve got enough to worry about financially.

Where did I get the money?

Creativity. I put my mind in gear and just started coming up with ways to get cash. Some methods are sustainable, others not. (all of it legal though :) The point is, however, that since I’ve made up my mind to get involved, I feel more creative now than I have in a long time. I feel more ALIVE! This blog is just an offshoot from that creativity. By helping others, I can definitely feel that I am helping myself. This paradox lies at the heart of the human race evolving beyond ’survival of the fittest’ which is one of the core themes of this blog.

Have any of my posts provoked you to think? I ask for nothing in return other than: just keep reading this blog and if the spirit moves you, tell others about it.

Next post: An application of the principle of maximizing variation: blogrlab.com

Popularity: 7% [?]

  1. 4 Responses to “A less popular paradox: In helping others, you help yourself.”

  2. By Alik on Mar 2, 2008 | Reply

    Your point resonates a lot with me.
    Here is another “Paradox” i discovered while blogging - “Blogging Saves Me Time - 4 Examples And Counting…”
    http://practicethis.com/2008/01/03/blogging-saves-me-time-4-examples-and-counting/
    Keeping reading your blog and looking forward to the next post of yours

    Thanks

  3. By blogrdoc on Mar 2, 2008 | Reply

    That is an excellent post, Alik.

    Blogging (if done correctly), as you have shown, can serve as documentation to be used like a trail of bread crumbs to lead you back through paths which you have already discovered. Our company is actually going to start using a wiki for this purpose. I work for a poor company :)

  4. By Alik on Mar 2, 2008 | Reply

    Using wiki does not reflect on your company’s poverty :)
    it shows that it seeks for easy to use productive methods to share knowledge

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