Selfish

Sun, 03/16/2014 - 16:52 -- mattk

Selflessness can be just as dangerous as selfishness.

 

When I was younger, it was engrained in my head that everyone should be selfless.  It was the kind of life-advice that kindergarten teachers repeated and Sunday school preached.  

The idea of “thinking about other before yourself” is a movement.

It’s the collective response to the next generation of “egocentrical youth”.  

(This youth is no more drastic than that of the previous generation, each

with their own flaws).

 

The idea of true selflessness is appealing.  

The image of missionaries pumping water for third-world children from the well they just dug, the charities gaining money and causing change or the homekeeper letting in a man off the street.  

These scenarios are attractive,

(they’re idealistic)

but they’re attractive.

 

However, selfishness isn’t the worst trait, in moderation, one could have.  

Just as any other major vices in a persons’ life, an equilibrium between selfishness and selflessness has to be reached.  

When reached, in my opinion, it’s very healthy.

 

Selfishness is almost taboo in today’s society.  

As a trait, it gets a bad connotation because it’s constantly being thrown about in extremes.  

When someone brings up a selfish individual, it’s never in a positive light.

 

Everyone should be allowed to think of themselves first.  

Everyone should be allowed to think of themselves above others.

 

I’ve been through my own share of hardships.  As I struggled through them, just as anyone would, I tried not to think about myself and just “keep the peace” around me.  

Slowly, this dragged me underwater.  

I needed to think about myself,

my own health

my own safety above others around me.   

It was a deep, necessary selfishness.  

Selfishness was the only way I could manage self preservation.

I think everyone should know there’s nothing wrong with that.

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