What's so good about caring?.......

Caring.

Why should we care about others?

Are we even able to truly care about others without (though

probably subconsciously) it somehow

being (in some form or another), transactional?

Is there a ''right amount'' of caring for instance?

In order for us to deem something/someone worthy

of our care, is there some sort of ''test'' to be passed?

Are we capable of bypassing any moral and or ethical

judgements and just care regardless?

Or do we care because when we care for others we

feel better about ourselves?

Is ''true'' altruism (=selfless concern for the benefit of others)

 even possible?

At the bottom of every good ''deed'' that we do for

the benefit of someone/something else, can we really

be sure that personal gratification of some form

does not enter into it?

 My so far humble research into this matter tells me that

there is no definitive answer.

A being who experiences itself as a self, is such a being capable

of experiencing anything outside of the self?

What do we mean with caring?

When I began this post I did not realize just how

difficult it is to pinpoint what caring is. For instance:

 It is something one does, it something one experiences on

an emotional level, and often it involves a lot of different feelings

and thoughts.

In my view, it seems caring is a complicated mixture of

social conditioning, personal background/history, ethical

and moral perspective, and functioning belief system.

''Caring is the right thing to do, caring about others

makes us good people, caring for each other is the foundation

of a good society, my folks always told me that

 caring for each other is what a family does, etc. etc.''

For some of us, caring comes easy, for some of us others,

not so much. According to some recent research done

on some students in the US, tests show that students

have been scoring lower and lower on empathy(caring) tests.

In an episode of the Simpsons a teary-eyed Lisa asks her father:

''But dad, why don't you say something?''

Homer: ''Because I just don't care, Lisa.''

For Lisa, not caring is not an option. 

She cares about everything.

Some research say, many of us don't.

But we can change.

Every new day we are given, we are given

 an opportunity to care more deeply,

more passionately, and more sincerely.

''Every act of caring, carries with it its own unique reward.''

(Citizen Z)

''Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world.

For, indeed, that's all who ever have.''

(Margaret Mead)

''Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile,

a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or

the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential

to turn a life around.''

(Leo Buscaglia)

about the image: acrylic on canvas, some photoshop editing