We contribute a portion of each paycheck to an employee assistance fund, we support struggling artists and the homeless population 10 Things You Can Do To Help The Homeless | Ripple Kindness Project. We attend fund raising events and give generously all while patting ourselves on the back about what a good corporate citizen we are. Not only do we care about worthwhile causes, but here we are donating our time, money and other resources to these important social causes. We are truly making the world a better place.
Then, in the same breath, we demand we be treated differently “better” than others. 5 Egotistical Personality Traits (And How To Handle Them) | Well+Good (wellandgood.com)Our anger over not having our needs met or being disappointed by an outcome leads to a raised and irate voice with a colleague. Clearly our needs are more important than the person with whom we are speaking. Our right to throw a tantrum, to share our opinion, to talk “down” to someone is justified by the position we hold, the money we make and the level we have reached.
There is a difference between caring about the greater good and caring about each individual. It is fine to make the grandiose statements, gestures and financial contributions but what really sets us apart is our daily interactions with people. Do we take the time to listen or are we so full of ourselves that that we only listen to respond and not seek to understand? Do we treat each person with kindness and respect or do we hold ourselves above others believing our needs are somehow more important than someone else’s? The former allows us to feel good about ourselves; the latter has a ripple effect throughout all humanity. How To Treat Others with Respect in the Workplace | Indeed.com