What is the most desirable trait in men? Previous studies suggest that physical attractiveness, intelligence and wealth are the most desirable traits in men. However, a new study to be published in the November issue of the “British Journal of Psychology” suggests that a person’s selfless tendencies are the most desirable trait in humans. Lead researcher Tim Phillips, from the Ecology and Behavior Research Group at the University of Nottingham in England, said:
“Evolutionary theory predicts competition between individuals, and yet we see many examples in nature of individuals putting themselves at a disadvantage to help others… In humans, in particular, we see individuals willing to take considerable risk to help others. help individuals they don’t know for any reason. obvious reward.
This shouldn’t surprise us, as we’ve always known that the human race always values selflessness. People who give their lives for their country, humanity or for a just cause without any selfish interest are often worshiped as God by man. Buddha, Jesus and Gandhi are some examples of such personalities.
However, this open secret of man has always been misused by intelligent and unscrupulous people. All political leaders promise their citizen their desire for selfless service because they know that he gets votes. There has never been a shortage of selfish people who have deceived humanity under cover of selflessness.
Therefore, it is often difficult to identify a selfless person.
Are we selfless?
Although the theory of evolution predicts that every man is a competitor of others and fights with others in the battle for survival, it is surprising to find people who even give their lives for others.
Why do some people give their lives for others?
We can all claim to be selfless. After all, we consume only part of what we earn. The father in a typical family spends most of his salary on his children and wife and enjoys only a small part of his earnings. The mother also spends almost all her time and energy in raising her children with no return. However, hardly anyone considers such acts to be selfless.
Doing good for the family is quite normal in humans and even in animals. The reason is that it is not an act of altruism if we serve ourselves. In a civil society, the family is considered as the extension of the self since man cannot survive alone on the planet. The family provides love and support to each individual in the family, therefore the man is paid what he gives to his family. Furthermore, each person receives such love, affection and support from his own parents; therefore, he has to give what he received. Love for the child is extremely natural to parents; therefore, doing something for them is not considered selfless, since children also give back to their parents what they received during their childhood.
Why then do people help an unknown person knowing full well that they can’t get anything in return?
Spiritism: the root of selfishness
The answer to this question is that every person is spiritual by nature. In Indian philosophy, the soul of the person is called “Atman” while God is called “Paramatman” (Universal Soul). Therefore, in every man resides a part of God. In Christianity, the Holy Spirit who is present in all beings is also considered to be another form of God.
However, most people do not have this realization and see themselves as different from others. Those people cannot do anything for others because they feel that such action is a waste since they do not receive anything in return.
However, a person who sees God in everyone or sees everyone as an extension of himself actually helps himself by helping others. Nobody expects anything in return when he serves himself.
Thus, the root of selflessness is the awakening of spirituality in the man or woman that allows the person to do selfless work. We all want to identify that person who can be trusted for guidance and help. We also want to become that person so that we can win people’s love and trust.
However, it is not easy to identify the spiritual person since many material people dress up in the clothes of the spiritual man.
One can easily identify a spiritual person if he has the following nine characteristics in his personality.
NINE IDENTIFICATIONS OF A SPIRITUAL PERSON
1. Synergy between words and action
The actions of a spiritual person are always in harmony with his words. He speaks only what he truly believes. If one just observes the lives of most people who call themselves spiritual, he can immediately tell the difference between their words and their actions. While they may be preaching equality, they treat themselves as superior to others. While they may ask people to lead simple lives, they themselves live in good houses and wear expensive clothes and ornaments. A spiritual person does not say anything that is not practical. Demonstrate the practicality of his principles by following the words spoken by him.
2. Self-realization
One has to make a distinction between scholar and spiritual person. Anyone with a good memory can remember every word of a script and prove anything by force of logic. A scholar always supports his argument with some reference to other studies or scriptures. However, a spiritual person is a self-realized person whose knowledge has arisen from within. Therefore, instead of “having knowledge”, it has “become knowledge”, since his person has become one with the Spirit. Therefore, his explanation comes directly from his soul and convinces the person instead of asking people to be convinced because someone has said it, or something is written in a scripture, or some study has proven something.
3.Peace
A spiritual person is one whose soul has become one with God or the Spirit. So you can see the world from a much broader perspective. His mind is at peace like water in the depth of a sea. He knows that everything that happens in the world has some logic. He can know cause and effect through his intuition. Therefore, he is always at peace and is not disturbed by the mundane things of the world that are like waves on the surface of a sea.
4. Disregard for physical appearance
Spirituality is complementary to materialism just as the spirit is complementary to the body. Whoever focuses on the body cannot focus on the spirit. Thus, a spiritual person is indifferent to the physical appearance of himself and others. He does not identify the person by his outer shell but rather identifies himself by his soul. Appearance is irrelevant to him. Therefore, if a person wears designer clothes and focuses on being physically attractive, he has less chance of being spiritual. Not surprisingly, most spiritual people keep a beard that actually covers the physical attractiveness of the body.
5. Unconditional love
Love is the most important character of a spiritual person. He doesn’t hate anyone, including criminals and terrorists. It may seem strange and impossible to the common man, but not to the spiritual person. Just as we all like everything about ourselves, including our not so perfect body, in the same way for a spiritual person there is no “other”, so he identifies even with his enemies.
6. Equality and Justice
God has created everyone equal although he has given everyone a different role. However, man places material value on the human being on the basis of demand and supply. For example, the president of a nation is much more valued than the ordinary street sweeper because there is only one president position and a large number of candidates. Although, there are many street sweepers with some applicants. However, it cannot be denied that both are necessary for the nation. A spiritual person, therefore, never distinguishes people based on their religion, caste, economic status, or position in society, as he can see everyone with the same eye. In the Gita, Lord Krishna says:
A wise man, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle Brahman (learned), a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater (outcast).
7. Devoid of passion
A spiritual person is never in a hurry as he has no lust or passion for anything. A passionate man always has to do something, so he feels restless all the time. However, a spiritual person knows his role in the scheme of things and does what is best for the world. He is a yogi, who has complete control over his body, senses and mind. gita says,
He who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is enlightened among men. He is a yogi, he has done everything that he had to do.
8. Humility
A spiritual person is always humble as he sees God in every person or considers everyone as an extension of himself. He knows that he is simply a tool in the hands of God and that he has been sent into this world to perform a particular function. There can never be an element of pride in it.
Can a machine be proud of its function?
Shouldn’t the credit for making the machine work go to its designer? Why then should a man be proud of his accomplishments?
The need for humility is demonstrated by Jesus himself when he washes the feet of his disciple. The Bible narrates the incident as follows
He (Jesus) arose from supper, and took off his garments; and he took a towel, and tied it around himself. After this, he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to dry them with the towel with which he was girded. (John, 13:4-5)
9. Compassion and forgiveness
A spiritual man is the one who forgives the most, since he knows that everyone will be judged by God according to their works. He never puts himself in God’s place and judges a person by his own standards. Therefore, even if someone has hurt him or someone else, he always seeks God’s forgiveness for him. Thus, instead of hating a person whose action is not in accordance with his wish or according to the scriptures, he shows compassion for everyone.
Jesus himself demonstrated the act of forgiveness when despite having been crucified by the Jews, he sought God’s forgiveness for himself. the prayer
“Forgive them, father, they do not realize what they are doing.”
Spirituality is for everyone
Man is born spiritual. Jesus in his first teaching said:
It is written: “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
Man suffers pain when he ignores the need for spiritual awakening in him and tries to live only on bread like any other animal. Everyone can hear the words of God if he awakens his spiritual self. Therefore, a less spiritual person must identify and learn God’s words from people who have evolved higher in their spiritual journey. The Nine Identifications discussed in this article can help a person identify the truly spiritual person and embark on the journey that is to God or Spirit. The development of these Nine characters in oneself can make a person spiritual and selfless.