Our whole civilization is much oriented in serving-the-self , rather than serving others, at least in its theoretical slogans. This is the base of the private property (and thus money) of private initiative and the domination of the private sector, over the public sector.
There are of course the theoreticians of the serving-the-others, socialists, some religions etc.
And even when systems like the soviet union communism and its contemporary Chinese communism, were in power and were advertising the serving-the-others in the society, in fact only a small oligarchy was in power, applying therefore the serving-the-self for them as far as social power was concerned. That is why they failed! The were not true serving-the-others systems, they were in a covered way an oligarchy of serving-the-self.
As long as our civilization is oriented to serving-the-self rather than the true serving-the-others, it will be of lower evolution, of lower frequency and with much inability to synthesize the abilities and intelligence of the individuals in the society. Private property is a phase of evolution where the soul consciousness cannot function effectively unless it is strongly correlated with a material object (the private property), and only then it is activated and is taking responsibility to take care but only the private property. The example of the failure of the soviet union and Chinese communism, show that private property cannot be eliminated as long as the soul consciousness is not much advanced in the individual, and collective fluent and self-respecting telepathy has been developed.
The really maximum advantage of serving-the-self comes through the serving-of-others. This is the advantage of a society. In a society every one is attracted to participate, because he/she is receiving more benefits than those that he/she is offering. Society is offering to individuals goods and services from a pool of past inventions and discoveries, while the individual only of his current abilities. Rarely will come an inventor or inspired public person that will offer in society more for the current and next generations than what his society offers to him.
Therefore serving-the-self is maximized only through and appropriate serving-the-others.
And conversely serving-the-others is appropriate and without Machiavellism only if the individual is respected in a win-win coupling with the society, in other words only through an appropriate contribution to each individual so as to exercise a good serving-the-self.
Both therefore serving-the-self and serving-the-others must exist in a society, and the more evolved the society the more the true serving-the-others is emphasized.
Of course peace of mind and happiness comes also when we feel that we accomplish gradually our true goals. And there minor and major goals in life. We might say that our existence has no other goal than to exist. Or that we may have many different goals, according to the scale of relevance in our existence. But one of the most beautiful and meaningful goals in life is to develop more of our soul consciousness. So all other minor goals like social success, money, fame, knowledge , creativity etc are to serve this major goal of developing more of our soul consciousness
Here are also two relevant quotes by Dalai Lama the 14th.
http://www.dalailama.com/biography/books
"In order to develop a feeling of cosmic responsibility-cosmic dimension of every action of ours and of the equal right of everybody in happiness and liberation from unhappiness, it is necessary to develop an attitude of the mind , in which when we perceive an opportunity to act benevolently the other people , we will proceed to take advantage of it, instead of trying to serve only our narrow private interests."
Of course peace of mind and happiness comes also when we feel that we accomplish gradually our true goals. And there minor and major goals in life. We might say that our existence has no other goal than to exist. Or that we may have many different goals, according to the scale of relevance in our existence. But one of the most beautiful and meaningful goals in life is to develop more of our soul consciousness. So all other minor goals like social success, money, fame, knowledge , creativity etc are to serve this major goal of developing more of our soul consciousness
Here are also two relevant quotes by Dalai Lama the 14th.
http://www.dalailama.com/biography/books
"In order to develop a feeling of cosmic responsibility-cosmic dimension of every action of ours and of the equal right of everybody in happiness and liberation from unhappiness, it is necessary to develop an attitude of the mind , in which when we perceive an opportunity to act benevolently the other people , we will proceed to take advantage of it, instead of trying to serve only our narrow private interests."
