The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS (OR Merry Christmas!)

Before I officially start this post, I'd like to great each and every one a Merry Christmas! 

Merry Christmas!

I hope all of you are happy this season, celebrating the holidays with the people who truly matter in your life (whether they are family or not).  J

Anyway, on with the show...

You may be wondering about the title of this post and what exactly it has to do with Christmas.  Well, a few days ago, while I was thinking of a good entry for today, I remembered one of my favorite Friends episodes ever (and please do not tell me you don't know what this show is a!  I'm not that old pa naman.  J)

The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS is the 4th episode in season 5; where Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) tries to persuade Joey (Matt LeBlanc) that there is such a thing as a "selfless good deed" (read a short summary of the episode here at the Friends Wikia page).

SOURCE: Friends.wikia.com

The reason this episode remains one of my favorites is simply because it made me think.  Is there really a truly selfless act?  I mean, if you think about it, doesn't every action we make, even though we are not physically rewarded, we are still left with the feeling of joy; of happiness knowing we made someone's day? 

If an act was truly selfless, then we would not be rewarded with anything.  Nada.  Zero.  Zilch.  We won't even feel joy.

But the way I see it, deriving only happiness from an act where we are not given any physical reward is much more satisfying in itself.  The purists would always contradict this (as Joey describes); but it is, in a sense, the lesser of 2 evils (?), if you may view it as such. 

So maybe there really isn't a purely selfless act, but still the ability to bring joy to others is what, I believe, we are always intended to do here on earth.  And the happiness that we derive from doing good deed is a priceless payment.

Now wouldn't it be such a sad place if people stopped helping?  When people stopped caring for even just a smidge?  Now, that would be truly horrific.  Life on earth is hard enough as it is.

Anyway, happy holidays, everyone!  May you always be kind to others and be happy, not just today, but the year-round.  J