Giving Back The Enlightened Self Interest Way

Enlightened Self Interest 

We live in a world ruled by self interests, with leaders (elected or otherwise) who have forgotten that their duty is to serve others and create a greater good for the greater many, rather than feathering their own pockets and those with whom they are in cahoots.

7 Aspects of a Project You Life 

Australian Ian Berry, founder of the Differencemakers Community, is a major proponent of enlightened self interest, which he describes in his book Changing What's Normal as:

Enlightened self interest is a philosophy in ethics which states that persons who act to further the interests of others (or the interests of the group or groups to which they belong), ultimately serve their own self interest.

It has often been simply expressed by the belief that an individual, group or even a commercial entity will "do well by doing good."

In contrast to enlightened self interest is simple greed or the concept of "unenlightened self interest," in which it is argued that when most or all persons act according to their own myopic selfishness that the group suffers loss as a result of conflict, decreased efficiency because of lack of cooperation, and the increased expense each individual pays for the protection of their own interests.

Or, as Zig Ziglar put it, "You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want." 

How can you apply Enlightened Self Interest into all aspects of your life? How can you give back to others and ultimately serve your own self interest? Please share your ideas in the comments box below. 

This article is excerpted from the top-selling personal development book Project You: Living A Determined Life, available at Amazon in paperback ($7.90) and Kindle ($6.88) formats.