For those of you confused about the title, there is a song by the group Little Jackie entitled “The World Should Revolve around Me”. The piece is as catchy as it is preposterous, but needless and oddly placed vulgarities will preclude me from linking to it. That said, as of late I have given some thought to the inherent egocentrism I see in the world and particularly in myself.
In general, as humans we are wired to not only have needs but wants as well. In the privileged world in which many of us live, needs are taken for granted and wants multiply in their stead. The more we have, the more we want. These wants eventually become demands. We take on this sense of entitlement, thinking that there are certain things we should have or should deserve, simply because a desire for it exists. Many of these things are not ours to have. Some of these things are not good for us. Instead of being petulant we must be thankful for what we have and hopeful for what is to come. If we are endowed with particularly good fortune we should do as much as we can to assist those who have fallen upon hard times. The world does not revolve around you.
The world does not revolve around me, either. A couple weeks back I got into an argument with an individual I deeply care about. The individual told me that while I thought I knew everything about that person, I did not. I thought long and hard about that, and I realized one of the greatest errors that I have committed in friendships, relationships, and relational pursuits. I have taken an egocentric view of the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule implores us to treat others the way we would like to be treated. It does not, however, implore us to treat others as if they were us. For far too long I have treated people as though they were Jakob Duehr carbon copies, ignoring past experiences, emotions, and personality differences. My expectations of others should not and cannot be as if they are me. My way is not the only way, and it is likely not the best way.
Both you and I also cannot push for that which we should not push for. What is meant for us to have, we do have. What is not meant for us to have, we do not. Our desires must not get in the way of our purpose. Where we want to be and where we should be unfortunately can be two very different locations. The egocentric mindset convinces us that we are the masters of our domains and our own life pilots. If things are meant to be, they will be regardless of our own efforts and self-imposed timelines. If we go our own way, we may succeed for a time, but we will crash. I have crashed. Do not be so arrogant as to believe that your plan has no flaws. Be smart, take counsel from those you trust, and pursue the path you should take. If it coincides with taking the path you want to take, congratulations! You are fortunate. But if you are among the many who do not have an easy mingling between the proper path and the desired path, be wise. The world does not revolve around you.
I write this to you not to condemn you as egotistical jerks, for if I were to do that I would be the greatest hypocrite of all. I simply remind you that as the world does not revolve around you, it does not revolve around me. Live life with an abundance of hope and a deficit in entitled expectation. Treat others as well as you possibly can. Remember that you are you and they are not. Stop trying to fit the square peg in the round hole. Enjoy today, and be anxious of tomorrow.
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