I Want Your Good

There’s an Italian phrase (don’t ask me to pronounce it), 

Ti auguro ogni bene. 

It roughly translates to, “I want your good.” It less-rougly translates to, “I want what’s best for you.” 

As Luke Burgis explains in Wanting, the very duty we have to shape our own desires – goes hand in hand with our duty to help shape the desires of those around us. 

In the best cases, what’s good for me + what’s good for you = what’s good for us. 

It’s a simple leadership, management, family, relationship, etc. philosophy, a la golden rule or even the silver rule.* 

The insight of Burgis’ highlighting this comment is how these desires are always imitated. 

The best AND worst cases reduce to what we’re imitating. If we’re chasing something we shouldn’t, or being manipulated by someone to do something in service to an outcome we’re not totally on board with… we can do better. 

We choose what we chase. And, in service to others, we can show what we think they should chase too, but it’s still up to them to chase it. 

Use it for good. 

*The golden rule says, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It’s positively pro-active. The silver rule says, “don’t do unto others as you would not have them do unto you.” It’s positively pro-passive.