Schemes to Gain the Motherland

In college, I was in a philosophy class that met on the second floor of the campus library.  And, because it was a very small class (perhaps twelve students), its setting and size made it more intimate than other college courses I attended.

My philosophy class was my first encounter with the notion that, as humans, a base goal is our own happiness.  Doesn't sound too out of line on the surface.  I mean, of course, we all wanna be happy.  But, our class discussion would push that into selfishness, self-centeredness, and other words and phrases that include the word "self" and the suffix "-ness."

"What about an altruistic person?"  Someone asked.  "What about the selfless person who gives their time and energy to help those less fortunate?"

"Don't you think that person is happy?"  The instructor countered.  "Don't you think seeing the results of his or her sacrifices and efforts fills him or her with happiness and worth?"

"I guess."

"So, his altruistic behavior is merely the means one's own happiness.  Some people gain happiness by buying new sports cars, some by working in soup kitchens."

There seemed to be a dark current of intention implied by our instructor.  He could make the most selfless person appear to be calculating and self-involved.  (But, by semester's end, I'd come to understand he simply debated and challenged us to make us provide stanchions of logic for our own positions or reconsider them.)

My ruminations began again in earnest last year, after I pulled over to the shoulder of the road to buy a birdhouse from a man whose mental capacity was clearly below average.  He was an older man.  If he wasn't in his late sixties, then life has treated him much more harshly that I had initially imagined.

I'd seen this man before.  And I always told myself I should stop and buy one of his birdhouses, which came in the unpainted, efficiency-apartment basic model or the two-story, red and white deluxe model.  I finally stopped at his roadside booth one day, when I realized I had some cash in my pocket. I figured it would serve a better purpose in his pocket.

But, why was I really buying that somewhat shoddy birdhouse (that now hangs on a tree outside my daughter's bedroom)?  Certainly not because I wanted it.  Was it really to help that man generate a little income?  Was it to make me feel better about myself?  Was it a calculated move to make me look like a good guy?  Was it an act of compassion?

I suppose, had I truly wanted to be helpful, I could have suggested he use a second coat of paint on the deluxe model.  It seriously needed it.  And perhaps he could pay a little attention to the details.  Those sorts of recommendations might help him sell more merchandise in the long run.  But, I didn't want to come down on him, I wanted him to feel uplifted when I hopped back in the Jeep and drove away down the road...the one paved with good intentions.