The Cycle

There's a cycle active in our interactions, connections and responses that is often taken for granted. Very simple, but it bears remembering. Do something nice for someone, it makes them feel good, they express that to you, it makes you feel good. By the same token, be mean to someone, they express their displeasure or react to that, and then it affects you. I don't want to imply that I subscribe to the idea of ethical egoism, because there is a distinction here. You can't act just because of how you expect it to come back to you, on the contrary, you need to be prepared for nothing, or the opposite to come your way. If not, you end up going down the personality management road, and end up treating people differently depending on what they can do for you.

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for [it is] time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Hosea 10:12