Man's Greatest Duty

Why do people help others?

All around us we see people in need of help in different ways. We see people who are less blessed with circumstances leading hard lives. In our country, all children are blessed with free education. But in most parts of the African continent, only a few children can afford even to finish primary education. In countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria girls have to put their life on the line to go to school. In plenty of unfortunate parts in the world, there are free students eager to learn but with no schools, no teachers and no books. When we see our fellow brothers and sisters deprived of the blessings that add to the beauty and value of our lives, we feel an urge to share what we have with others. We even feel that it is our duty to ensure that life is fair and unfair (if it must be) to all men and women in the same manner, even if it seems like an impossible goal to achieve.

“There are many great men and women who strived to change the world for the better and succeeded. We still quote their wise words, read about their lives, amaze at the great things done by little men and women. Their stories of succeeding in doing the seemingly impossible inspire us and give us strength to fight our own battles. But how did they manage to bring about a lasting influence on the world?”

“Man’s greatest duty is to serve mankind.”

But how can we really serve mankind…? There are so many grave issues faced by the world today. There is poverty and hunger. The planet is polluted to the extreme. There are wars and terrorism killing thousands every day. There is racism, sexism and every other extremism imaginable. There are political battles, rivalry between technology and human interactions, between religion and science and among different religions. What problem is the most significant? Which group of people are the most in need of help?

The problems faced by the world are so gigantic that we, individuals, with our own problems, weaknesses and little strengths, look so small in front of them. We can only hope to make a ripple by our actions but will it really matter in the ocean of problems in this chaotic world? Can our little projects and little helps bring about a positive change in the world?

We can always become the change we seek to see in the world as Mahathma Gandhi once suggested.

There are many great men and women who strived to change the world for the better and succeeded. We still quote their wise words, read about their lives, amaze at the great things done by little men and women. Their stories of succeeding in doing the seemingly impossible inspire us and give us strength to fight our own battles. But how did they manage to bring about a lasting influence on the world? Mahathma Ghandi named his autobiography “my experiments with the Truth”. To him, practicing non violence towards the British who brutally ruled over his beloved country was a personal battle. By becoming the person with the values he believed in, he mastered a strength that could move the masses, and that could bring peace between two nations.

A wise man once said “A lost soul in need of help but unable to find it should go and help another. In the process they will find the help they seek for themselves,” I believe this phrase to carry the true meaning of what it means to help another. It is said that a man who does not love himself can never truly love another. Likewise a man who has not helped himself is too weak to help another. I believe it is the secret behind the strength of the greatest social workers of the world. They became the light houses that light the night so the lost ships in the oceans can find their own path in the dark. To become light houses, they became one with what they believe in and even their presence becomes a strength to others to face the challenges of life.