Hierarchy or Helpfulness?

“Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace.”

— Dwight D. Eisenhower

I bet you’ve noticed that it can be hard to find people in today’s world who seem interested in being helpful. This is, in some ways, remarkable in the context of human history, because until not that long ago, anyone who couldn’t cooperate couldn’t survive. The good of one’s tribe or village had to be a consideration in decision making, because it was extremely difficult to navigate the world alone. In the last several hundred years, advances in technology that were previously unthinkable have changed our living conditions beyond recognition. Those of us in countries with more access to such advances now can have a great deal more ease and independence in our lives, which has given rise to greater expressions of individuality. The prevailing philosophy has shifted to include what has amounted to an obsession with individual achievement.

Now, freeing people to use their creativity and produce the products of their unique visions has produced a lot of brilliant work, and there’s nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, obsession with doing everything individually has, it seems to me, produced a lot of loneliness, anxiety, and limitation for a lot of people too. Not everyone is wired to be a James Bond-style army of one. Humans evolved as social animals, and for most of us, it’s very difficult to feel as much alone as many people now do.

This week I want to share a video about cooperation that I watched this week, because I think it’s interesting and applicable to a lot of situations. It’s targeted to people in the business world, so if your interests don’t run along those lines, just hang in there until about four minutes in, when I think the importance to any group of people kicks in. The thesis is about how a commitment to helpfulness in yourself and those around you can change your ability to get more done, and more quickly. When we stop acting like only the obvious leader of any group has notable value to offer, we become more willing to both be helpful, and leverage the helpfulness of others, which is enormously powerful.

How can you augment the presence of this circle of helpfulness in your life? Think about that this week, and see what you notice about where you could use more of this, and how you might begin to create it. I’ll be writing more on this topic next week!