It's curious how we take things for granted, particularly when it comes to the people around us. Have you been paying attention? Or are you too caught up in yourself?

One of the prevailing trends of society today is the notion of the individual. While the idea of intrinsic personal value is an obvious aspect of being alive, never before has it been so keenly emphasized to the point of indoctrination. The standing assumption of our media-entwined culture seems to be that we absolutely have to be reminded of how important our feelings, our wants and our dreams are, lest we lose them.

Problem is, I think we're overdoing it.

We come to acknowledge ourselves and value what is important to us to such a degree that it's surprisingly easy to shift from being self-aware to being self-indulgent. It's such a natural progression that we probably don't even notice when it happens.

While the idea of the youth being self-centered is an idea that has been around for a very long time, our generation is much further down that line than any before. What we have at our disposal that our predecessors didn't is a veritable arsenal of pop psych rationales and intelligent assertions for defending our thoughts, words and actions. Now we're not just being stubborn -- we're subverting the light of mature reason and the power of calm logic.

I'm not saying that justifying ourselves is inherently ill-advised. What I'm saying is that too often, we seek to defend ourselves even when, considering sound moral perspectives, we're being selfish and inconsiderate.

We act on the things we consider to be important. It's true that we should take care of ourselves and that we should be prepared to fight for what we deserve and what we believe in. It's to be expected that we would act in our natural best interests.

However, as human beings capable of distinct thoughts, expressions and values, there are certain social mores that we should be aware of. Beyond the beliefs that we hold dear, there must be still be room to acknowledge the fact that what makes our existence worthwhile is not our ability to act like every other self-sustaining, survival-minded creature on the planet, but our ability to do much more.

All around you are people with their own lives. Your desires, feelings and pains are no less important than theirs, and that goes both ways. While some may have suffered more than others, that does not in any way compromise the fact that every life, be it sheltered or ravaged, is deserving of consideration.

As you work towards and argue for what you feel is your due, be aware that you don't trample others in the process. You may be so focused on taking care of yourself, on soothing your own hurts, that you no longer stop to consider how you may be blindsiding others, how you may be aggravating their own wounds.

Pay attention. While you set about the expected task of seeing to your needs, strive for the nobler task of seeing to the needs of others -- or at the very least, of not just shoving them and their concerns aside.

Living well is about more than just taking proper care of yourself. It's also about being considerate.

[First published by Perspective, DLSU - College of St. Benilde]