Be a good person, and pay attention

"Pay attention, and be a good person"#

I first heard this quote from neuroscientist Sam Harris: "pay attention, and be a good person". Taken out of context, this sentence might result difficult to comprehend. And yet its underlying message makes a lot of sense to me. It depicts an absolute truth of existence and human relationships. It portrays an ideal individual (and collective) human behavior, which, if cultivated carefully, has the potential of compounding and improving our shared condition.

Life boils down to this essential concept: pay attention, and be a good person. When you let out the best part of yourself in every life situation and relationship, you strive to "be a good person". You are committing to the ideal of the courageous hero (the one who shoulders responsibility, *wisely *venturing into the unknown, paying close attention to his and the outside world's reactions). You are taking charge of treating your interlocutors as you would like to be treated. You are setting the foundation for (possibly) a positive dose of reciprocity, an essential concept at the very basis of human interactions. By consistently committing to being a good person, you distinguish yourself from the majority. You value reliability, discipline, complete communication over personal interests or resentment. You do not expect to receive the same treatment back since you are aware of the constant battle between good and evil within each of us. Being a good person, or committing to utilizing all the possible good that is within you as consistently as possible, you also *pay close attention *to the nuances and mechanics playing out in your human interactions with others. You stay in touch with the human psyche and empathize with the suffering that is paramount in the human experience. You look at reality objectively and empirically. By being fully present and paying attention, you understand when it is time to step out of the game or when it is appropriate to add some chaos if prolonged excess order has led to complacency and vice-versa. Paying attention also means, just as importantly, accepting what is, letting go of egoic reactions, and listening carefully to what the other person (or group of people) has (have) to say. Listening is one of those abilities that one can improve by practicing deliberate presence in the moment and genuine openness to experience. Listening with intent becomes easier when you fully embrace (and want) personal growth and exploration. Exploration of the unknown, so to speak, is often associated with high levels of resistance and fear, at times, especially if you score low in openness to experience as a personality trait. Genuinely wanting to grow and break out of your echo chamber requires cultivating an attitude of openness to experience and interest in growing as a person.