Muhammad Jalal al-Din Rumi (A.D. 1207 - A.D. 1273) wrote the comment somewhere around 800 years ago, give or take a decade or so. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I suspect the application line remains as empty as it ever was and the requisitions for the title of "good human being" remain - shockingly - open.
I grant you, it is an opportunity that is limited in some aspects. The career ladder may not seem very promising and quite frankly, promotions can be few and far between - in fact, there are many who will never see their promotion until their death, which admittedly represents a barrier to those with an eye towards career advancement or management.
The hours are terribly long, the work conditions sometimes horrendous. Managerial reviews to measure progress are often not forthcoming - in fact, you may go your entire career with only a handful.
And the results of your work? Quite likely you will never see the bulk of it in your active career; it is only in your ultimate retirement that the effort of the long hours and hard work will become apparent.
For all of that, it remains one of the easiest career fields to enter - and as Rumi points out, there is almost no competition, even today. His quote is not quite as exciting as Uncle Sam pointing out the Army needs you, but remains equally heartfelt.
The need is great. And even today, it seems that applicants are few.
Unfortunately what often makes the news are the "works" of not good human beings eh TB? The results of good works? I've found smiles to be the best, at least in the few times I accidently did good.
ReplyDeleteNylon12 - They do not indeed make the news, or all too often simply the models most people are presented with.
DeleteSmiles are indeed an outcome. Simply lightening the load for someone else even for a short time is a very undervalued skill.
I remember a story of a long serving missionary coming home to "retire". As he left the boat, a brass band starting playing and people cheered! He couldn't believe that this was his homecoming! And.... it wasn't. Some visiting dignitary was behind him on the gangway.
ReplyDeleteIf you want fame, there are any number of ways to get it. If you want to be a good man you probably won't be famous outside of a few people who know you well.
STxAR - I remember the same story, although I cannot remember to whom it referred.
DeleteSomewhere along with way we got "fame" and "good" crossed up in a way civilization has never really recovered from.
Being a good person starts with little things.
ReplyDeleteIt should start at home, with those you care most about.
When you inhale to say something sarcastic or mean spirited to your loved ones, hold that breath for just a second and say something nice.
You aren't doing this to get good Karma, because if you do it to get good Karma, you won't get it.
It gets easier, and easier, and very soon soon you will be a nice person even when under stress.
As said above, the bar to being a good person is at the lowest point in a very long time, and once you begin, you will find that you are changing yourself.
John, it really is as straightforward as you suggest.
DeleteAnd yes, in our modern attention driven and self centered society, the bar to begin is quite low.
In the beginning, I started off seeking that good career. Only after it finished did I realize that it is really quite impossible to obtain. By the time a career is noted as being a good one to strive for, I think it is already dying and someone other niche is quietly gaining momentum. Fortunately, I think I have done a lot better at just being a good human being.
ReplyDeleteEd, sound thinking. Careers are always shifting with the age and technology and culture; a good human being never goes out of style.
Delete