Are you sacrificing yourself to please other people? Are you giving up your own happiness to make someone else happy? Often we get this thought in mind that we need to give up certain things or some aspects of our life in order to make somebody else like us or to make them happy. Sometimes intending to please people we tend to make ourselves believe that this is a noble thing to do. But is it worth it? By giving others the impression that you don’t really care about the things you are giving up on, you are actually portraying a false picture of yourself in their minds. Self-sacrifice in this regard often turns out to hurt others, and most of all, you hurt yourself in the long run.  

However, it is also true that relationships do require some amount of sacrifices. Although considered to be an inevitable part of any relationship, self-sacrifice is not really an easy thing to do. Making self-sacrifices for the one we love and care has both its pros and cons. Some of them are highlighted below:

The Advantages Of Self Sacrifice

• Your relationship with your partner is more likely to last longer if you are ready to make sacrifices for them. It is always a nice feeling to know that somebody cares about you enough to put you on top of their priority list. 
• Secondly, you experience joy in abundance by seeing your partners happy. By making sacrifices, you do prove yourself to be a right relationship partner, and that is in itself an overwhelming feeling. 
• When your partner identifies and values your sacrifices, they will surely start to reciprocate. It makes them immensely happy to know about your love and concern for them. And when the time comes, they are also more likely to put in efforts and sacrifices for your sake.

The Disadvantages Of Self Sacrifice

• By making sacrifices, you are giving up on things that you like, and you want to do. By this, you are putting off your happiness and desires for the sake of your partner, often leading yourself to an unhappy state. In this way, you are unjust and inauthentic to your own being. 
• If you start sacrificing early in a relationship and your partner is not reciprocating properly, you land in a situation where you are always the one expected to compromise. In due course of time, it may lead to an imbalance of power in your relationship.
• Some people are more into self-sacrificing because they adhere to the notion that they cannot say no to anybody. People who exhibit such attitude of unmitigated communion are the ones who suffer from low self-esteem, poor health and other issues of anxiety and fear.

Is Self Sacrifice a Selfless Act?

There are certain things that come into consideration with regard to self-sacrifice. Although self-sacrifice is a selfless act, it does involve some amount of expectations. It is rooted in kindness and goodness, but most of all, it starts from the urge of doing something in exchange for something else.

Self-sacrifice, to some extent, is an integral part of our lives as social beings, but you must not try to please others at the cost of your own happiness. Set your priorities right to have a balanced and fulfilling life.