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Being Selfish is Anti-SOCIAL

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That's right, if you're one of those self-involved individuals that believes the world is all about you and only you, then social media and this blog post is a waste of your time. This post is about how to approach the social media channel with the right intentions. To participate in this channel, you can't be selfish. You have to have a desire to give as a major tenet in social media is sharing.

Establishing human connections is a primary driver for people to become actively involved in the social media landscape. But connecting is not enough, we need to share with each other in order to derive any true benefits. History throughout the ages has taught us about the value of sharing. I like to illustrate this point with quotes from some super-famous and not-so-super-famous people. Here you go:

  • "Give and you shall receive" - Luke 6:38
  • "Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give" - Norman Macewan
  • "If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way" - Buddha
  • "Infinitely more important than sharing one's material wealth is sharing the wealth of ourselves–our time and energy, our passion and commitment, and above all, our love" - William E. Simon

Pretty cool isn't it, the concept of sharing and how you apply it to the context of this interactive channel we call social media? We really are made to share. First you connect, then you share. But what do you share? Something of VALUE! This is another major tenet of social media philosophy that many people disregard. Do I really care about how awesome your decafinatted-vanilla-soy-latte tastes right now? NO! Give me something of value. Something I can use to make my life easier or improve my day. Don't just take my time and attention, help me.

So sharing and sharing something of value is big. Once you share value, people will flock to you. Word will spread. People will connect and follow you. If you're going to post selfish status updates that are all about you, you'll quickly find yourself devoid of social interaction, hence becoming anti-social. In today's world, that is a mistake.