Self-centered

“Who has never put their own interests before anything else?” asked Eklea, the Shape of Awareness, to the audience attending her class.

No one dared to raise a hand.

“Oh, today’s class is quite conscious of its own behavior, isn’t it?” Eklea continued, a little surprised and pleased.

“But you’re all right—we have all been self-centered at one point or another, sometimes willingly, sometimes without even noticing it.”

“It can happen with people we don’t really appreciate or know, but it also happens with our loved ones and family! Isn’t it a bit paradoxical?”

“But being aware can help us counter this kind of extremely selfish behavior, which disregards the surrounding circumstances and acts only for one’s own convenience.”

“But isn’t it kind of natural to care about ourselves before anything else?” asked a young Esper.

“Yes, it is. But when we have developed the StarDust we all carry within us, we can better understand when we are being selfish. Our natural behavior isn’t always the path to follow, because while it can benefit us for a while, it can harm the planet or the ones we love, without us even realizing it.”

Want to share?


Comments

Leave a Reply


Our latest tales

  • Third Eye

    Third Eye

    Eklea liked to use concrete examples to explain abstract notions that were difficult to grasp, especially for the younger Espers. This time, she used the example of a one-versus-one game played by two Espers. The game had a lot of depth, and a well-timed move could completely change the tide of the match. She said,

    Read more

  • Pure and Upright

    Pure and Upright

    The Five Elements were representations of the dimensional layers that had to be blended in order to truly understand one’s inner self. Empathy was one of them, and when the Seven Shapes worked on a good description of compassion, they thought about what they saw in Gurumin: pureness. Her character and attitude were pure and

    Read more

  • Improve each other

    Improve each other

    The Espers soon understood that a good way to grow was to do so alongside others. Why? Because rivalry can spark motivation, creating a natural positive cycle in which the more you improve, the more others do as well. Vati and Faya also knew that sometimes competition could become too harsh, and they reminded the

    Read more

  • Learn from others’ mistakes

    Learn from others’ mistakes

    Though Esperia had finally managed to create a stable society, nothing was perfect. Many Espers still opposed the new rules set by the Seven Shapes. But this too served as a lesson to grow from. Every Esper is different, and the ways we adapt to new situations differ as well. The Shadows of some Espers

    Read more

  • Day after day

    Day after day

    The habits we build, one small step at a time, are like seeds that must be nurtured gently but steadily each day in order to bear fruit. “One step a day, day after day,” could be a way of thinking that every Esper remembers when seeing Shala. A few minutes of training or work may

    Read more

  • Join Forces with One Heart

    Join Forces with One Heart

    The Seven Shapes were discussing how Esperia had changed since the discovery of the StarDust. “Before, we didn’t even know we shared the same planet,” exclaimed Vati. “Nor did we know that all the different Elements are just parts of the same source, the StarDust,” thought Eklea. “It was a long journey that led us

    Read more

  • Do what you say

    Do what you say

    What’s the best advice you could give to a child? Actually, more than words, it is how we behave each day that has the greatest influence on the education of the young. Faya, the Shape of Willpower, had mastered this principle and taught it in her own way. “It is our responsibility to act according

    Read more

  • Simple and sturdy

    Simple and sturdy

    All the Espers of Esperia knew about Kenko. She was the absolute incarnation of what one would imagine when thinking of proper health. Not only physically, but mentally as well, Kenko had, throughout the years and through daily effort, become the very Shape of Health. She would always say: “It’s not complicated, but it certainly

    Read more