Doing The Right Thing Is Enough

The Daily Stoic for July 15th, “Doing The Right Thing Is Enough”.

“When you’ve done well and another has benefited by it, why like a fool do you look for a third thing on top—credit for the good deed or a favor in return?”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 7.73

Well, I can certainly see the point in Marcus Aurelius’ words. Doing the good thing should be the ultimate motivation for a good deed. Actually, one of the things that always bothered me about the Christian culture is precisely how good deeds, or being good, is totally selfish. You are not good because it’s the right thing to do… You are good to go to heaven -or to avoid going to hell-.

Doing The Right Thing Is Enough?

However, as I mentioned some daily stoic meditations ago, acting like that has ultimately made me realize people were taking advantage of my acts. And there’s only so much of that you can take before it starts bothering you.

So where am I right now? I still feel glad when I help others, or when I do a good deed for someone. Especially if I don’t know this person.

However, I have learned to prioritize things that will bring me happiness and joy, and try my best to take care of others. Maybe it’s completely selfish, I am fully aware of that… But that’s the way I feel nowadays.

In today’s society, we’ve grown used of taking everything without ever saying thank you. That’s ok, but makes for a change of mindset.

I still believe in the goodness of mankind, and all that stuff, but I have learned that you need to take care of yourself first, because most probably nobody else is going to be there to do it for you.

Conclusion

Today’s Daily Stoic, “Doing The Right Thing Is Enough”, discusses the need of doing the right stuff for the sake of it. I agree, but as long as we remember that we come first.