In today's "what's in it for me?" mindset, it's too often an alien concept when applied to the self. Of course, we love it when other people are generous to us -- except that it often makes us suspicious ... "what do they want from me?"
Why would we think that? We tend to project our thought processes onto others. By default, we think everyone else thinks just like us. So if we wouldn't do something without expecting something in return, we don't think anyone else, would, either. This is sad.
Now I've heard the argument that nobody is altruistic. In the strictest sense of the concept, this is true. So once again we're back to "what's in it for me?" or "Why should I be generous?".
Remember "Spittin' in the wind?" Well, the opposite is true, too.
The smile you send out comes back to you 1,000 times.
Not necessarily from the people upon whom you have smiled, mind you, although often that is true, too. Think of it as antivenom. You produce antivenom to counter the toxic hate and gloom others produce. You're just "putting it out there", and it IS appreciated, trust me. Ripples in a pond.
Even if the person you gave to doesn't appreciate you, you've made their life a little better than it would have been. And maybe they won't be quite so short with some people in their lives today. Which makes those people's lives a little better. And eventually, some of that will get back around to you.
You reap from your surroundings, so make your surroundings as nice as you can make them, and your harvest will be better.
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