(Untitled)

[imageoficculus]

We all put a little bit of ourselves into everything we do, everything we become. There's no way to escape it; genetics program within us a code that is impossible to shun. Even the best actors cannot remove the final trace of themselves from their roles. It goes an awful long way toward what makes this world great

Comments

[pause4paws]

Hypocritical to fault people for living for themselves when you are probabl doing the same? The whole world is driven by the energy consuming machine of want and greed and safeness and sameness.

Tell me, if you weren't to live for yourself, whom would you live for? What would you live for? Why live? Why bother?

The selfishness that you speak of is coded into every human being and filed under 'Survival'. So what if one is selfish? What does one get for being selfless? And tell me, who is keeping score?

If in the course of your journey on this ball of dirt and water you can do the best by yourself while at the same time touching other people in their core, wouldn't you say that you've done the best you can do with this life that you've been given? Isn't that what this is all about? Or isn't it?

T

[imageoficculus]

Certainly. I'm alive today, and that means I've done something right.

Mostly I do things for people because I enjoy it. Because it makes me feel like I'm worth something. Arguably, that's the same as doing it for myself.

[pause4paws]

Arguably, that is selfish.

[no_absolutions]

People are always saying that ultimately, we each live for one goal, whether we realize it or not: The Quest for Happiness. Which is a theory that basically states, that the things we do to people-good or bad, are things we do, ultimately, to please ourselves; even if it is a so called 'selfless act.'

I guess I disown that idea, because it sounds too selfish. And maybe I'm just in denial, but still, there's more to it than that. Of course we all want happiness. But along the way, there are a lot of people who live for more than just the satisfaction of themselves. And doing those good things just happens to be pleasing to oneself, but that is not the only reason we do; I like to think of it as more of a perk.

Everyone needs to say 'fuck it' now and then. It's okay to be a little selfish in the sense; because there are people and things that will make us even more humble afterwords.

[pause4paws]

Selfishness is built into us. Call it a genetic typeset. Call it a genetic flaw. We're all selfish, whether it is in our pursuit of happiness or whether we're doing good things to please other people. The reason we do something good is different to the reason we all live and indeed, breathe

[pause4paws]

The sentence up there should read 'The reason we do something good is not different to the reason we all live and indeed, breathe.'

Mistype. Curse passion.

[imageoficculus]

Selfishness is built into all of us. It may be true to say it is as vital to our survival today as it was when neanderthals were killing each other over a leg of beef. I believe it is part of who we all are, and as such plays at least some role in every decision we make.

But to hear an implication that this selfishness is absolute flabbergasts me. Both our parts of the world have seen terrible tragedy in recent years, and both occurrences have littered the media with stories of people who would not be alive today if it weren't for selfless acts of complete strangers; People who could have had a much easier day by staying home, or otherwise doing nothing.

Believe me, I'm no martyr. I doubt I could risk my neck for a complete stranger. My post was about my own selfishness, and about how I can hardly consider myself better than anyone else because of it. But it was also about how I'd never contemplated the opposite. Perhaps I should.