When we look around, when we take stock of human behaviour throughout the world, we find there are two conflicting tendencies in man that struggle for supremacy. One is selfishness and the other altruism. In some people the first prevails, in others the second. The same goal is aimed at by all persons, however, and that is happiness. It is the level of evolution reached that determines the type of joy a person craves for. The less developed he is, the more he finds happiness in injuring others, in indulging in sense gratification, or in self aggrandizement even at the cost of everyone else’s happiness. But the more civilized a person is, the more he finds satisfaction in doing good to others - in the ability of feeling happy, as it were, through the senses of others. Yet both those tendencies are found in mixture in everybody. In the great and the good, it is altruism that has the upper hand in others egoism, but both qualities, generally speaking are there in varying degrees in all human beings.

What it is then, that impels many of us, to evolve, to be good and to do good, and possibly a greater number of us to be self seeking, as if in spite of ourselves.

The answer it seems lie in the very constitution of man. We must acknowledge that we have both the devil and the divine in us.

We have a lower and a higher nature. Whilst the lower nature thrives on facile self aggrandizement, on vain self glorification and the repulsion of whoever or whatsoever is an obstacle to it, the higher nature on the other hand manifests itself only in proportion as the senses and egoistic feelings are subdued and controlled. And just as it is natural for a selfish man to think of himself first and foremost and only superficially of others so for an ethical man, his joy lie in thinking of the good of others first and his own welfare only incidentally. It must be admitted however, that for the bulk of mankind, the mastery of the higher nature over the lower is still more a desiderata than a goal which is within his easy reach, and we cannot afford to ignore reality.

The innate goodness of man, normally finds expression only when he realizes the limitation and superficiality of an egotistic life. For the majority of people, this realization comes only after they have had enough to eat and enough of luxuries to enjoy life a little. It may appear paradoxical, but the fact remains that material wealth and well being are in many cases predisposing factors to the growth and blossoming of ethics, although it by no means follow that all well to-do men are ethical.

Poverty, unless it is self imposed, robs man of his manliness, of his dignity: It is no use talking ethics to a man who does not have a decent meal everyday, who does not have a roof over his head at night. We therefore need to work hard and build a more prosperous nation, where people may feel economically secure so that they would not feel constrained to adopt dubious means for ensuring their livelihood. On the contrary, the material prosperity of the nation would hopefully incline many of them to better respond to the promptings of altruism and gradually accept the ethical way of life as a manifestation of the supreme joy within seeking expression in the service of others.

We may not be far from the truth if we were to say that it is precisely because we as Rotarians, are relatively well-off that ethical behaviour finds an easier expression through us. Be it as it may, it is incumbent on us to show, by the way we think, we speak and we act, that leading a moral life is a sure recipe for a joy far more superior and lasting than the one procured by the gratification of one’s lower nature. It is only by being a living example of righteousness, that we can trigger the latent altruism in others. Not only should it be anathema for us to resort to bribery, influence peddling, flattery, backbiting, or to get a personal advantage to the detriment of others more deserving, or shrink from taking rightful action for fear of a personal disadvantage, but we should also be bold enough to use all lawful means, to take the lead in fighting corruption in all its variegated forms. As importantly, by enlisting the cooperation and participation of others in our different avenues of service, we should provide the opportunity to discover the pure joy of working for the welfare of others to all those who may be ripe for it.

The 4 way test embodied in the famous leading questions known to all of us

1 Is it the truth?

2 Is it fair to all concerned?

3 Will it build goodwill and better friendship?

4 Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Illustrate succinctly what ethics is all about. We are reminded of what should be our guiding principles in life. It may be significant that the author of those lines has deliberately chosen to raise the issues in question form instead of making didactic statements. As Rotarians, considering the degree of evolution we are expected to have reached, a general predisposition for the ethical way of life should constitute the very core of our nature. Those questions are not meant to teach us any new lessons. They only serve as sentinels to ensure that we do not digress from the path of virtue unwittingly. For if truth, fairness , friendliness and consideration for others are not already ingrained in us we cannot call ourselves Rotarians. Those qualities should therefore overwhelmingly predominate in us and be a perennial source of joy to us, as well as the driving force propelling us to work for the welfare of others. Mastery over our lower nature should be a battle already fought and won. Our joy should normally consists in finding self-fulfilment more and more in virtuous deeds so that as Rotarians, we should find no difficulty in making our own the words of the mystic Spinoza, who proclaimed:
“ We do not find joy in virtue because we control our lusts: but contrariwise, because we find joy in virtue we are bale to control our lusts”.