giving.

In a conversation about humility, Zakman commented on a comment I made.

“I don’t think a lot about humility. I try to think about other folks always and try to always make room for them.”

with a question

“Isn’t that more like a people pleasing attitude? Which, again, indicates vaguely towards a lack of personal conviction?”

We’re taught that “It’s better to give than to receive.”

Giving — giving love, giving space, giving money, giving something always wished for, or giving time together — as Zackman points out, is more than merely handing over what one has to another.

Still, the act of selflessly giving — freely offering all that one is or can give — looks the same as the act of giving ourselves away to gain acceptance.

We might call one who does the first a hero or a saint. We might call the second a victim, a person with no self-worth. How do we tell one from the other when we see someone giving so much? How do we know which one we are when we do the same?

What determines the difference between selfless giving and giving ourselves away?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

Related
Change the World: Truth and Humility
Personal Identity: What Is Humility?