Selfishness, Defined
by William D
Originally posted at The First Creation.
Egoism is a state of mind where a person values all things in terms of their value to the self. Egoism and selfishness are virtues, in fact the greatest of all virtues, as they enable life.
All living beings are selfish. To survive, they must be. Without fulfilling one's basic needs of water, food, or protection, one would cease to exist. Although selfishness is a necessity, many people hold selflessness as their goal in life, and this altruistic thinking is a dominating and corrosive mainstay of today's society. If one were to give all of his money to charity or devote all time to a selfless cause, there would be no opportunity for survival. He may as well commit suicide. The altruists of today hold any action for the benefit of others as the moral ideal. If one were to follow strictly the basic tenets of altruistic thought, he would perish. But how can the epitome of a philosophy be suicidal? By maintaining an intrinsic contradiction in the philosophy. Many people live this contradiction, reaching for an ideal that they know not is impossible. They think that any time they purchase an SUV, a house, a new stereo system, or bread, they are doing wrong—they are taking for the self and not giving of the self. The contradiction of the philosophy of altruism is the belief in self-deprecation, self-sacrifice, self-destruction. An individual, let alone a society, can not prosper where all actively seek death.
Selfishness enables life and allows for happiness. As stated, all beings are selfish to a certain degree; the ideal, however, is complete selfishness. To care only for what enables and furthers one's life. This perfection is know as rational egoism—constantly acting only in one's best interest. Few people strive for this ideal, let alone actualize it. Some hold a fog, an undeveloped presage, of this ideal as their goal. These people struggle constantly with decisions between pursuing personal goals and giving in to immediate demands (that are opposed to the person's rational self interest) of friends or family. They fear for the opinion of others, or worse, recognize an inherent obligation of the self to others. Fear not, and stand proudly. This life is yours, and the degree to which you hold this as true is proportional to the life you will enjoy. Egoists may stand alone, or they may choose to stand together—egoists are not antisocial. An egoist is often interested in others. Spending time with friends who share or embody an excellence of spirit (used here not in the non-material sense but as a passion for life) is often a rewarding experience. Synergy experienced by enthusiastic groups benefit all individuals in a selfish way; a rationally interested individual would choose to engage with others for this purpose. Selfishness and egoism are not egotism (expecting or seizing the unearned) or hedonism (yielding to the expediency of the moment)—two other concepts it is often confused with.
To live consistently (without contradiction) requires an explicit and relentless exercising of one's capacity to determine and fulfill one's rational self interest. This is the only means for life at its highest.
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