We have to be more aware of this. And more importantly, we have to learn how to tackle this problem. It's actually now a hairy epidemic worldwide, but no one seems to be bothered.

I'm referring to an attitude that is so pervasive it looks like it's the normal thing to have. This is the virus of pride, of selfishness, greed and vanity. It's considering what puffs the ego as the ultimate fulfillment of one's life.

This is the me-first attitude of the I-me-mine generation, a growing sector in the world, whose outlook is notoriously individualistic and blatantly self-interested, self-indulgent and intemperate.

You sadly see the syndrome at every turn now: in homes, among friends, in malls, internet cafes, in sports, fashion and entertainment, in the media. Read the papers, listen to the radio, watch TV, see a movie, and this poison is there corroding hearts and minds with impunity.

What a painful thing to see people, especially the young, rotting away in laziness, disorder, aimless meandering especially during weekends, spoiled by modern gadgets, excess time and money, and, worst, parental neglect!

How jarring to hear people hopelessly gossiping away, indulging in empty talk, and engaging in activities that from any angle are clearly a waste of time! Everyone seems to want only what is good for him here and now, never mind if it is not truly good for him.

The objective reason to seek rest and recreation, to pursue knowledge, power, influence, popularity, etc., their ticket to social acceptability, is so abused that these human activities now become pathological.

There's also that phenomenon where those who do many important things so fail to appreciate the true value of these things and thus fall to a sickly build-up of psychological repression that once they have leisure, they become prone to harmful and sinful compensations.

This runs in direct conflict to what we are supposed to be and behave. We are meant to love, we are wired to give ourselves to others, to share. What goes against this law works against us.

Let's always remember what our Lord said when asked what the greatest commandment was. It was to love God with all our heart and might, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

We always have to be keenly aware of this natural law that governs our life. Once we realize we are deviating from this law, we have to rectify immediately. We have to help one another to be able to follow this law always.

When we sense we don't have God and the others in our minds and hearts, when they do not motivate us to do something for them, we should realize that we are heading for trouble, and therefore should react properly.

What is unfortunately being fostered is the opposite. We are lured and hooked to egoism, good time and easy life, to comfort and pleasure seeking. And there seems to be hardly any serious effort to counter this trend.

Instead of being thoughtful, anticipative of others? needs, eager to work and serve, we now see so much self-seeking, wasting of time, and fuss and ado only to satisfy one's urges and passions.

The value of virtues, like order, industry, prudence, is disintegrated. The need for sacrifice, mortification and forms of self-denials is completely ignored if not ridiculed.

The link between these virtues and our true joy is missed.

The families should see to it that the children are taught as early as they are able to understand very deeply this fundamental law of our life and to develop the corresponding attitudes and practices.

Parents in particular, since they know their children's strengths and weaknesses, should come up with the appropriate plans and strategies to impart the proper attitudes and develop the proper habits.

They have to know how to use both the gentle and hard methods, how to be patient and impatient, tolerant and strict. They have to use the full range of possibilities to help their children grow to maturity.

That's why they have to spend quality time with their children. Away with remote or surrogate parenting!

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Fr. Roy Cimagala is the Chaplain of Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE) in Talamban, Cebu City. You can email him at:Email: roycimagala@boholchronicle.com