Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.
Warren Buffett
MEANING OF THIS QUOTE
It is hard to be selfless when selfishness reigns supreme around us. Our natural instinct is to do a profit-and-loss analysis before every decision and put our own interests above everything and everyone else. While this may reap short-term returns, it has no real long-term benefits, at least to others around us.
CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE OF THIS QUOTE
One can make a strong case that such charitable attitude isn’t just impractical, but probably even detrimental to one’s prospects in a world as competitive as ours. That is why it is important to strike the right balance between personal growth and social responsibility. People who tend to overly prioritize one over the other run the risk of becoming too self-centered or too vulnerable to being exploited. On the other hand, people who contribute to the social good while working on their personal goals leave a lasting legacy for generations to come. It is such people who we look up to in our lives. In fact, unbeknownst to us, many of these unsung heroes directly impact our day-to-day lives.
A FUTURE-ORIENTED OUTLOOK
Such an approach demonstrates great magnanimity. After all, it takes a great man to do something knowing full well that its benefits will accrue not to him, but to future generations who may remain blissfully unaware of their existence. Such selflessness is not just the foundation of our societies, but of mankind itself. Ironically, in a world full of egotistical leaders and selfish individuals, it is such forward-thinking few that keep the torch of humanity burning.
CONCLUSION
At some point in our life, we all have benefited from the generosity of someone who sowed the seeds without caring if they will live to taste the fruit. Several years after their demise, their legacy lives on through their charitable deeds. It is almost as if benevolence can immortalize us mortal beings.
Warren Edward Buffett is an American investor. Globally renowned for his philanthropic activities, one of Buffett’s most motivational quotes emphasize the spirit of charity: “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”