365

12 - Selfish Generosity

I volunteered in a social event for international students today. You know, for those young people who travel miles away from home, subject themselves to a harsh life and heaviest stresses that can be offered by a university. Or those who enjoy an extended vacation on their parents money. Anyway, the fortnightly event was for them.  

My supervisor always wonders why I even bother to spend my Friday night, after a long and challenging week, to do something for an extended period of time without any benefit in return. Perhaps he thinks I am a fool. Or perhaps he thinks that I am generous. Or perhaps a mixture of both.

What if I say I am neither?

People can be selfish when they are generous. Consider big and rich companies. Charities that they do, social progress programmes that they commit, are they simply due to their good heart? Or are they because of the bottom line?

Back in my home country, student union is a standalone organisation having branches in almost all schools, colleges, and universities. Joining the union is generally considered the first step to become a rich government official. As such, this organisation tends to attract opportunists, loud ones, and sexually charged ones looking for mates, besides a certain number of truely generous and good people. Believe me, I know. I was a member. The union is in charge of managing clubs and organising fun, politically correct activities for students. It also spearheads many long-running charity campaigns. In short, a bunch people with different motives and urges somehow produces value to the society.

I used to hate these cases. But, to think about it, does motive matter, when the result is valuable? People who are helped by charity programmes of companies or of the student union, do they care about the motive of those programmes?

So, as a hypocrite myself, I also enjoy my selfish generosity on Friday night, fortnightly.