All human beings are intrinsically selfish. No matter how selfless they appear to be, you will surely find them to be selfish in some way or the other. In simple words, Selfishness is an act of being concerned only for oneself regardless of anybody else. We all claim to love and care for others more than anything else, but at some point in time, we tend to prioritize our happiness and comfort above anything in the world. And it is challenging to come across someone who will agree to do something for you by being in a disadvantageous position.
The motive of a selfish person is to obtain as much happiness as possible without being concerned about others. Given a chance, he may even persuade his fellow men to sacrifice their interests for his sake. To be practical, every ordinary thing starting from breathing, eating to acquiring all the possible comforts of life, involve some degree of Selfishness. But aren’t such acts as a part of human survival?
Is it wrong in being Selfish?
There is nothing wrong in being selfish unless you are harmless to anyone. It only suggests a form of self-care that you chose for yourself. You should put yourself in the first place of your priority list and can be more concerned about your own happiness and pleasure. For instance, one might acquire pleasure in helping the poor and needy, which is definitely not a wrong motive.
Be Selfish to be Successful
To be successful in life, you should learn to be selfish. Your priorities, goals and dreams should always come first. To achieve something, you have to invest the right amount of hard work and time in it. Time is a precious thing, that can never be regained once it is gone. As a social being, you have to give time to your family, friends and other important people of your life, but sometimes when it comes to working, you need to be selfish with your valuable time. Invest your time only on people and things that really matter to you.
Selfishness is Self Care
Selfish people are the ones who take better care of themselves instead of investing too much time and energy in serving the needs of others. Once you start prioritizing yourself and your interests, you emerge into a more confident and independent person. You start feeling good about yourself, which results in better physical and mental health. Once you start taking care of yourself, you are in an excellent position to take care of others too.
What should be the extent of Selfishness?
Some amount of Selfishness is healthy, but too much of it will lead to despair and loneliness. Man is a social being, to maintain a cordial relationship with the society, some sacrifices are a must. But do not drain yourself in the process of trying to please others or to be accepted by them. Being selfish can be in a good sense only means when you engage yourself for achieving happiness and satisfaction.
Setting your focus on yourself does not mean to be selfish; rather, it is a step towards better self-care and self-awareness.