Help Yourself First

There's a reason why you're told to put your oxygen mask on before helping the person next to you during the safety briefing while flying. Imagine the plane, whether literal or metaphorical, is going down. Next, picture the person beside you struggling to figure out how to put on their oxygen mask and start the flow of oxygen. You know how it works, you were paying attention as the flight attendant was giving the safety brief. What happens if you help someone who is struggling before you help yourself? You both lose consciousness. You may know what somebody needs to do to survive but if you don't help yourself first and make sure you have a steady flow of oxygen, if you spend your time trying to help those that are struggling before helping yourself then you both lose. If you help yourself first then you remain conscious even if the person next to you has lost consciousness, then you can still put their oxygen mask on and now you've created the opportunity for you both to survive. Helping yourself first is not selfish, it is necessary.