I hate early morning flights. Well, perhaps “hate” is too strong a word, let’s say I dislike them. Yes, that sounds better. Though I claim to dislike early morning flights, I find myself on them more often than not. The reason isn’t philosophical; they’re simply cheaper, sometimes half the price of flights at more reasonable hours.
You might be wondering what early morning EasyJet flights have to do with selflessness. I don’t blame you; I was just looking for a different kind of introduction. 🤣 Please bear with me because everything we’re about to discuss was triggered during one such early morning flight.
Shortly after I boarded my EZY8412 flight, the safety briefing began to play:
When the seat belt sign illuminates, you must fasten your seat belt. Insert the metal fittings one into the other and tighten by pulling on the loose end of the strap… In the event of a decompression, an oxygen mask will automatically appear in front of you. To start the flow of oxygen, pull the mask toward you. Place it firmly over your nose and mouth… although the bag does not inflate, oxygen is flowing. Be sure to secure your own mask before assisting others.
If you’re a frequent flyer, this is one of those routine briefings you’ve probably heard countless times. By virtue of that repetition, we often don’t listen or pay much attention. But this time I was seated by the emergency exit, and the flight attendant ensured I was paying attention. As we taxied to the runway, something in that briefing stuck with me:
Be sure to secure your own mask before assisting others.
I kept wondering why words I’ve heard countless times suddenly held a deeper meaning. I asked myself: wouldn’t it be easier to help someone else with their mask first before putting on mine? That way I’d avoid tangling with tubes and feel like a hero at the same time.
However, as I thought more about the practicalities, it became clear that I was ignoring a crucial context. Rapid decompression happens when there’s an issue with the aircraft’s pressurization, often above 10,000 feet or 3 kilometers above sea level. At that altitude, the air is so thin that oxygen concentration is dangerously low, making it nearly impossible to breathe. In such cases, pilots must descend rapidly to a breathable altitude. And here’s the key: it only takes about 15 seconds to lose consciousness due to lack of oxygen. Unless you have superhuman abilities, you’d likely pass out before helping the next person, which would deprive you of the opportunity to assist anyone at all.
This principle isn’t unique to air travel; it applies to everything in life. Often we see it as noble to put others ahead of ourselves. While I don’t deny the virtue of selflessness, unchecked selflessness can cause more harm than good. How many times have you found yourself trying to pour from an empty cup? Whether it’s at work or in a failing relationship, pouring from an empty cup only depletes your ability to replenish it, leading to a perpetual state of emptiness.
Sometimes we think prioritizing others’ feelings over our own is the right thing to do. But this overlooks the context of turbulence and how quickly things can spiral out of control. It doesn’t take much to break your soul. There have likely been times when you’ve sacrificed what’s good for you because you thought it was better for someone else, only to later realize your actions were inconsequential to that person’s life.
I’m guilty of this. I often find myself in situations where saying “No” feels like stabbing someone in the chest. Yet more often than not, saying “No” is exactly what I need to do. In fact, “No” is the right answer 99% of the time.
So with this EasyJet-inspired rant, allow me to close by saying this:
Understanding when to share and when not to is a virtue of unmatched proportions. Without this discernment, what could be a superpower of great human ethics may turn into an Achilles’ heel. Who knows? Maybe being selfless is, in a way, a form of selfishness after all.