There are three ways that we can reach the top pinnacle of success: it can be done illegally, lawfully or ethically. Out of these three options, one is short lived, one is not satisfactory and one is the smart and wise thing to do.

No one will deny the fact that some people have made tons of money and acquired power through illegal means. It’s probably the fastest way to get to the top but it’s also the fastest ride downhill. Sooner or later, the past will catch up and justice will be served.

On the other hand, success has also been acquired by staying within the framework of the law but with disregard to other people’s interest. Again, financial success and power may be acquired this way but that’s as far as it goes.

If success is acquired at the expense of other, even if done in a perfectly legal way, no personal satisfaction and no personal happiness is possible. The reason for that is simple. Satisfaction and happiness require a sense of self-esteem and self-worth. Something that cannot be acquired by trampling others.

True success can only be acquired and enjoyed when it is acquired ethically and with regards for the common good. This principle is called egoistical altruism, which means giving to get. No lasting success can be achieved without following that fundamental axiom.

In nature we must give before we can get; the seeds must be planted before the crop can be harvested and the land must be nourished if it is expected to keep on producing. That principle is true with nature and it’s also true in the affairs of mankind.

We grow and prosper by filling needs and helping people. It’s a fundamental law. We can only grow and prosper when those that we touch can also benefit because they are the ones who feed our growth. They are the roots that sustain us and keep us going and growing.

There are three levels of personal growth. We have dependency. The stage when we are dependent on others to fulfill our essential needs. Then there is dependency when we can fully take care of ourselves. Finally we have interdependency.

Interdependency is understanding that we can accomplish much more and be much more successful if we work with others rather than going at it alone. It is understanding that the human ecosystem is interdependent and that its subjects will either grow together or wither and die together.

No man is an island… we grow as a society or we stagnate collectively. That’s a fundamental lesson that anyone who aspire to lead the good life has to learn and understand. Anything that we do for the greater good of all will pay great dividends, that is… so long as we follow this one last principle.

A wise man will not squander his physical or intellectual resources. Unless an investment brings some returns, ruin is the only logical outcome. So, contributions must be done wisely and judiciously. There has to be an exchange of values and mutual benefits. That is the base upon which the concept of egoistic altruisms is founded.

Doing the right thing for the right reason would be a good definition for the word ethic but it’s also much more than that. Like the golden rule, they are good words to live by and a recipe for true and lasting success.

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Tags: altruisms, egoistic, ethic, intellectual, resources, success