Nothing is free

You pay in your time, energy, attention or money. Nothing is ever freely given, except maybe love. And even that is often given with the expectation of something in return.

What do you think?

Comments

[pinky the first]

hmmmm....i'm free. and I freely share what has been so freely given to me: recovery, growth, wisdom. everything else will cost ya!

[Broofa]

Virtually everything we give involves selfishness in some form. If what is expected is personal gain, than that merely being selfish (which is not necessarily a bad thing.) If, however, what is expected is the satisfaction in having helped others, well... that is about as close to "free" as you can get.

It is possible to give something free from expectation, but it requires a form of ambivalence that places zero value on what is being offered. "Here, I don't care what you do with it". And it does happen, but it's not very interesting.

I think altruism is as close as you're going to get, and that stems from the genuine desire to do good, to improve the world in some small (or large) way. It's something that people who have enough love, money, attention do with whatever excess they happen to have.

[gloria]

There is no such thing as a "price" to pay. Our world works on energetic exchange. Money is only a crystallized form of energy.
Flowing energy is obviously more inclined to freedom, so much more interesting to put out in the world and to tune in. Fueling this world energy and gaining nourishment from it is quintessential to being alive.