“Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live; it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.”
– Oscar Wilde
Righteous pain follows a noble belief; needless pain follows a selfish act. This means if you go without an I-Phone to use your money to help the local soup kitchen; you may feel righteous pain because of a noble act. If, while scanning Facebook on your I-Phone, you give a sad emoji on the news the local soup kitchen closed because of a lack of support and are one of the non supporters; you may be a selfish an even-toed ungulate.
There is a couple known for selfishness, they belong to the Sundae family. You will meet a member of the family throughout the week. Farmers tell me that pigs are not selfish but self-absorbed in their own business, which it turns out is helpful. So, if you are a farm pig, on behalf of non-farm pigs I apologize for us ruining your reputation.
I am a self-absorbed person, you are self-absorbed, and together we are part of the self-absorbed culture.This makes a selfish world. It is important to establish the facts. For some astonishing reason everyone else thinks their not the selfish one. As long as their not as selfish as the next person they are excused from blame. HINT: If you can DO something and DON’T … you are at fault.
Psychological egotism is the idea that deep down, actions are motivated by self-interest. At the other end of the feed trough is Psychological altruism; the idea that sometimes motives are pure.
Does selfishness or sharing drive us humans? This question is tied to pain in the world because when you talk about the one the other comes up. This is called a Positive Correlation: as one increases, so does the other.
Ask an evolutionist and a creationist that question and stand-by. The Evolutionist points out our competitive ruthlessness as the “nature”’ way. The reference of nature is a wink and nod for the idea of natural selection or “thinning the heard.” It is natural selections way of killing off those animals less able to adapt to a changing environment due to natural causes.
Those that champion thinning the herd think it means the more capable and good-looking animals survive and therefore rationalized the closing of the soup kitchen as a natural consequence of “only the strong survive.” The natural cause you’re talking about is the self-absorbed nature of us non-farm animals. You’re right IF you’re an evolutionist. Are you an evolutionist? Just asking.
Animals do not change their environment so other animals cannot adapt and survive, but humans do. If people are responsible for changing the environment; it is not natural selection … it is neglect. If non-action results in the suffering of others, it is a case of selfishness causing needless pain.
The common notion of selfishness is a lack any concern for the values of others. Lack of consideration for others makes someone selfish. There are two versions of egotism; one has a history of manipulating, exploiting, or violating the rights of others, and the other is someone who considers themselves before the needs of another. One is a sociopath, the other a wanker. Most people are wankers because most sociopaths are in prison.
I want, that’s mine, buy me, is the mantra of most children. It sounds odd when you hear it from adults. That is the clue, if behavior doesn’t fit, it catches your attention and bears investigation. We are smart dumb people … if we pay attention. Some people feel owed or entitled to get their way, this is normal for a child. Are you a child? Just asking.
The good news; children mature and balance taking from others with giving. The bad news; some don’t and those who Don’t grow up viewing other as means to get without the responsibility of giving.
If I had a pig for every time an apathetic human told me they look out for number one; I’d have a bunch of sad pigs. That’s the point, survival depends on cooperation. Don’t give some lame excuse for pig behavior because no one is fooled and you’re making real pigs look bad. Unless you ARE a child evolutionist … just saying.
-Reluctant Therapist