“There’s no such thing as a selfless good deed”
Every so told, ‘selfless’ action we take is essentially a lie. Every good deed, every action beyond our comfort zone and which comes to the aid of other, inevitably, is a selfish action. These actions give our individual self a boost of moral positivity, so we do we assume that somethings we do during on time on this planet are not for our own benefit? And, is it really wrong to think in such a fashion?
“Selfishness”
Selfishness is a derogatory word used as a negative trait in others, but if we dig deep into it, we can find the shimmering piece of gold in this heap of garbage. In my opinion, the healthiest mindset one can have which can push them to new heights in any aspect of their life can be described by this common phrase – ”If life gives you lemons, turn it into lemonade.” Such a mindset is built on positivity and a crucial aspect of what brings us up in our life’s endeavors which is to truly show a keen interest and passion towards any project or problem you’re faced with, with grace and dignity. This is what brings us to what selfishness truly means in its loads of negativity – independence and self-development. A person who is extremely self-oriented and strays away from others for the sake of his own peace is no different from the overly generous philanthropist these days – both enjoy the same sense of peace through their intentions of self-satisfaction. But, what sets them apart?
“Positive and Negative Selfishness and their truth”
The person who looks down upon others and in the same way, finds his own self is considered an example of negative selfishness due to a single factor – society. Society is what sets two of these selfish types apart where the person involved in positive selfishness is considered a boon to this world while the one who’s negatively selfish is considered a bad person. This is only controlled by a psychological bias hidden as a cultural phenomenon, which is society; it is a byproduct of the age old horde mentality which was in-built in our ancestors for survival and in the modern world, it’s time to refine it. Both kinds of selfish activities have an explanation; if it is a person who has become who he is today, it is because of his environment, essentially, what society made him/her. Now, this creates a paradox, doesn’t it? If society is a single bias which is dependent on the definition of selfishness, and the selfishness of a person is the cause and effect of society – it creates a never ending loop. According to a similar psychological phenomenon, what we so infuriously despise in others is a quality we despise in ourselves, subconsciously. And, that statement just put another layer to the paradox we just created. If we breakdown society with similar biases, everything will end up a paradox and a major question; racism, inequality, war crimes, etc. Biggest paradoxes known to man are born within man themselves.
“Answers”
Is there an answer to the validity selfishness? Kind of, only by ignoring the many layers of which it can be impactful. If selfishness can be seen in its main contributing factors: the individual and society; positive selfishness is the correct answer to aid society, and in turn, yourself. But, if we take our individual world to be of more importance, doesn’t negative selfishness turn out to be the right answer? We can very clearly see the simple dynamic of equilibrium between these two major factors, hence, we can conclude that like life and death, there must be balance in the trait of selfishness too. In the end, there is an art of saying no and the kindness of giving.