Pillow Book "human behaviour III"

Is it not incredible how humans change with social environment?

In the place I am right now, there are many people within the same age group, all reliable adults with high education. People you would think are responsible and grown in their mannerism. But, oh how fast they digress to ape stage when just ONE individual gives them the chance.

For example: If one person stops cleaning after themselves, then suddenly no one is doing it. If one person makes loud noise (like music) in the middle of the night then suddenly everyone thinks its ok to keep doing it. None of these people would act like this at home...but shown the way by one individual they all seem to adapt, all too quickly.

It is as if all the courtesy, humanism and gentleness towards other people vanish in an instant and all they can think is of their chance to be egotistical. As if it is lurking underneath all the time, just waiting to take over.

And why is it that if one person acts reliable and with the good of others in his best, he is never copied but rather ridiculed and laughed at. As if gentleness and kindness is something to be avoided in this World.

Are we born selfish? Do we learn it? Can we be corrected if so?

Hard to say. But I do know for certain that it is much harder to be unselfish than selfish. And humans in general tend to take the easier path, following the group.

Therefore I want for myself to take the harder path. It is more struggle, more pain, more effort. But the rewards are thousand times greater.

and maybe, just maybe I might tilt the World a little, by my effort...