WHAT IF NO-ONE EVER DID THE RIGHT THING

What if everyone was only out for themselves?

Got up in the morning with only one thought

What’s in it for me?

And if there wasn’t anything in it for them,

they wouldn’t, couldn’t be bothered

doing whatever

What it each and every person just ignored

each and every other person no matter how much

trouble the other might be having, or in?

How would that work, I wonder, if selfishness

was so finely honed that all else was lost?

Compassion, altruism, care, anything that wasn’t

self-serving would not occur to a person to do,

or even to think about; the world would turn

on a very different axis.

Of course, self-harm would be a thing of the past—

For people of a certain type of selfishness

would never think to consider suicide.

Murder yes – self-murder? Not a chance, unless – 

they were so desperate – dying seemed to be 

the ultimate thing they could do or themselves.

But – if no one ever did the right thing – 

would anyone ever know exactly what the right 

thing was and how would that be determined anyhow?

After awhile, wouldn’t the philosophy of right and wrong

become quite convoluted and confusing?

For who would set the standard and what moral compass

would there be to guide this selfish new order

of souls who cared for nothing but themselves?

What if they never cared to wonder about any of this?

Would it make any difference to anything or anyone?

Would – what if this ever comes about – what if ...

S.E.Ingraham