Self-improvement through re-education.

A lot of my friends have started talking about self-improvement recently. I don't know why; maybe it's because New Year's is coming up and they need resolutions, or they've had an experience that's made them feel unhappy about how they conduct themselves. Personally, I feel self-improvement isn't something that should be talked about, it should just be done.

Well done everyone who goes out (or stays in) and does a good thing everyday. Even better done if you didn't tell anyone about it.

I say this because while good works are all well and, ha ha, good, seeking credit or reward for them undermines the action a little bit in my opinion. If you're only 'self-improving' to be rewarded for it, then really your just self-indulging, right? Yes, you've something good but really you did it for you, so you could get that nice little glow inside. Unfortunately, because it wasn't an honest act of altruism that glow goes away pretty soon and you think, 'What's the point? I didn't get much out of it.'

Which is exactly why you should do things for other people; because then every time you see them you'll get a warm glow inside. Anyone out there who knows me will be a mite suspicious right now as they'll be wondering exactly why I'm talking about this - I don't usually do the charity thing. I'm not afraid to admit it, I like to see the results of my actions. Giving money to a faceless organization that claims to help the world etc and not seeing it happen seems like a quick-fix or get-out clause for someone's morals to me.

Every time I walk into town where I live at the moment, I will pass one or more homeless people. I am increasingly considering stopping to talk to one of them - which one exactly I'm not sure of, there's a bit of choice where I live - and maybe buy them a sandwich or something if they'd appreciate it. Again, I'm skeptical about giving money to beggars because you never know quite what they do with it. I have images of some of them, so desperate are they to get ahead in life, throwing it into every wishing well or body of water they can find in a superstitious and ill-founded attempt to gain that which they desire.

Technically, that could be a reference to alcoholism. It's not, but look at it as one if you like. It's really quite clever that way, rather than watching homeless people throwing money away as an offering to a probably-non-existent-water-deity.

back to my point - which some might say I have yet to make - I feel self-improvement happens as a by-product of ones actions rather than it being something you can pursue or set your mind to achieving; there's no defined manner in which people can improve themselves, except by almost accidentally achieving it. I'm sure people will point out to me that you can do good things etc, but as I tried to explain (probably poorly) above doing good things for your benefit reduces the goodness of those things. However, deciding to do something to actually benefit or help others somehow - as a small number of my friends have begun to do - and getting something out of it almost coincidentally will actually go further towards a self-improvement goal.

Good for those who self-improve, better for those who help improve the lives of others. Best of all to those who did it anyway and didn't ask for recognition.

Actions speak louder than words, and some actions have the power of a gunshot, and can shock and awe the world to the same extent.


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N.B. Don't take the above analogy literally - there are very few good acts that can be done with a gun, they aren't exactly the primary instrument of charity. At least, no charity I'd consider charitable.