If you think you've done someone a favor which entitles you to have an upper hand over that someone, then think again. For all you know, you owe a great deal of gratitude and also apologies to this planet for allowing you to stay here and turn it into the junkyard that you have. And amidst a bunch of a whole lot of those that have wronged their land of survival, there's some equally righteous and wise individuals who reinstate your faith in humanity. So, if you thought there are people who've obliged you and helped you a great deal, then think again. What you may perceive as an act of support or kindness may be nothing more than a duty on someone's part.
For some reason it has become imperative for humans to validate their goodness and morality to the world outside. So much so that helping someone out has either become an act of retaliation or a deed performed with expectations. Be it a lover, nurturer, life-giver, companion, or a soulmate, human relationships have, with time, lost their essence and become more platonic. When I use the word "platonic" I mean to intertwine the elements of condition and give-only-to-take, along with a superficial state of being. Have you ever carefully observed a mother pigeon? It gives the best lesson in performing one's duties in life without expecting anything in return. A pigeon, who looks very innocent and harmless, nurtures its eggs with ample care and warmth, and builds a shelter in the form of a nest to protect them. As soon as the eggs hatch, the mother pigeon ensures that it shields the squabs from any attackers, and at the same time it encourages them to be independent to take care of themselves in her absence. The reason why the mother pigeon encourages her young ones to become independent is that she knows that soon they will outgrow the nest and will fly away from her; and they wouldn't be able to survive if they remained under shadow. She doesn't have any expectations that her babies will come back to her, and despite that she continues to support them whole-heartedly right till the time they spread their wings into the sky.
Today, more often than not, one finds conditions every time he/she establishes a relationship or tries to define one. The word "duty" has always ranked at the top in the list of things that have been regarded as a human's prime focus but, from the looks of it, we seem to have redefined the term as per human convenience. And it weighs us down, morally and otherwise, keeping a track of all the times that somebody has shown gratitude to us. If one happens to think, then he/she would not be surprised to know that our lives are becoming increasingly automated. Every action is perfectly balanced by a calculated input of emotions and animation, while responding to a need or concern.
After a long time of experiencing unwarranted joy in doing what I then thought were favors, I've come to a conclusion. Taking pride in doing a favor would only mean allowing one's character to be deemed immature. We would exhaust the element of gratitude within us if we happen to measure our indebtedness to the world. Just imagine the price we will have to pay if the sun started asking for royalty, our planet started quoting astronomical amounts for renting out space, all the oceans decided to tax us, trees acted pricey for giving away oxygen and adding to the beauty among various other hidden prices that we have been exempted from. There's only one favor you can do to yourself, and that it to base your actions keeping in mind that you owe a great deal to the world.
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