Is being selfish wrong ?

Discussion in 'Ethics, Morality, & Justice' started by Challenger78, Mar 21, 2008.

  1. Challenger78 Valued Senior Member

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    Is wanting more for yourself, wrong?

    Looking at it on a survival basis, being selfish helps. In a modern society, its often the most selfish that become successful money wise.

    So, if being selfish can bring individuals a better life, Is it wrong ?.

    On a different note, How can you be generous yet selfish, I was told that there's a difference.
     
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  3. draqon Banned Banned

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    the idea is that one does not need to be selfish if they are fully living for others...of course in real life this does not mesh well...
     
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  5. Challenger78 Valued Senior Member

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    As with all philosphies, If everyone were selfish, there would still be common interests, but with more individuality.
     
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  7. glaucon tending tangentially Registered Senior Member

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    What do you mean by "wrong"?
     
  8. Challenger78 Valued Senior Member

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    As in, morally, Ethically it is wrong. Society views it as wrong. But is it? .

    Not really well versed in definitions here.
     
  9. glaucon tending tangentially Registered Senior Member

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    I think you've answered your own question...
     
  10. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    It isn't how much you have, it's how you spend it that matters.
     
  11. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Humans are inherently selfish. But most of the time it only becomes a problem when we are selfish at the cost of others.
     
  12. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

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    challanger humans are a pack animal not a loan hunter. Therefor we rely on the group as much as we do ourselves. It benifits ME if you are in good health, well educated and not trying to kill me etc
     
  13. original sine Registered Senior Member

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    Being self-centered is often a good thing. Maintaining your body and mind by getting the best for yourself is morally positive. Considering the quality of a group of people you would want them to be healthiest and most intelligent, and it's up to each individual to ensure that they get the best they can. Helping others may benefit the group as a whole, but if someone is constantly asking for help, they may be asking everyone else to sacrifice their opportunities so that the one person can survive. The difference is asking for help while others help themselves.
     
  14. Challenger78 Valued Senior Member

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    But if the pack screw up, the lone hunter doesn't eat, and blames the pack. If the lone hunter screws up, he has no one to blame but himself.
     
  15. Challenger78 Valued Senior Member

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    Probably did too... Still digesting it though.

    Which is why society views it as wrong.
     
  16. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

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    thats not how we have evolved because we hunted game that was to big for a lone hunter to take down. when you look at sociaty the whole structure is about the group not the indervidual, thats what SOCIATY means. Thats why we have police and universal health and education systems
     
  17. greenberg until the end of the world Registered Senior Member

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    The problem with selfishness is that when people are selfish, they often do not take into account that others might be just as selfish too.

    Many selfish people take for granted that others will give up their selfishness in favor of someone else. Moreover, many selfish people believe others should give up their selfishness in favor of someone else.

    When one's happiness depends on someone else's misery, those others will normally work against one in order to come out of their misery.
    If one's happiness depends on destroying someone else, this other person will seek to destroy one.

    If you go into the neighbor's house and take what you fancy, the neighbor is not going to just let you do it.

    It's a power game that starts out with one person against another, goes over in one company against the other, and eventually one nation against the other.


    The other question regarding selfishness is whether material selfishness (and some other forms of selfishness) pays off in the long run. Ie. whether that which was acquired in those acts of selfishness is worth the time and effort that went into acquring it - whether those acts of selfishness were the best use of one's time and effort.
     
  18. greenberg until the end of the world Registered Senior Member

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    True. He might have a clear conscience. But he might also die of starvation.

    A pack of humans has better chances of catching prey than an individual; unless the individual has extremely good predispositions. Humans don't compare to tigers.
     
  19. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Exactly. Things we do that seem to be altruistic are really selfish; benefit to the group is benefit to yourself.
    Even things like helping complete strangers is eventually selfish because we only do it to feel good about ourselves.
     
  20. greenberg until the end of the world Registered Senior Member

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    It seems that in our "Western" society, the desire to feel good about oneself is quite demonized.

    "You shouldn't strive to feel good about yourself", "You should deem yourself worthless or at least severely imperfect", "You should consider yourself needy of that which others give you", "Only lazy bums feel good about themselves, but no decent person ever does, at least not for long" - are the subliminal messages we are fed.

    It seems the challenge is then to stop demonizing our desire to feel good about ourselves.
     
  21. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Yea but being selfish isn't inherently wrong, it's a necessity of life.
    What we humans make of it.. well.. most of 'em are idiots.
     
  22. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Depends on your priorities. The way I see it, if you are only concerned with yourself, you will be the only one concerned with yourself.
     
  23. everneo Re-searcher Registered Senior Member

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    ..and if you are the only one concerned with yourself, you will be only concerned with yourself, most probably..
     

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