Zodia
2009-02-19 01:29:59
Ever been on a bus? You’re on a bus that’s full; you are always going to see people giving up their seats for the elderly. Ask yourself why did they do that? The first answer most people would think of is that s/he is selfless. You couldn’t be more wrong. People do things that may appear selfless to satisfy their own inner set of values or morals. Every action we do is because there is something to be gained for us. Whenever the person is aware of it or not.
The desire of all humans is to increase one’s happiness. In any given situation a normal person would pick the path that would lead to happiness. If a person was put in a “your money or your life” situation most people would reason out to themselves that their happiness would be better satisfied by continuing to live other than die for their money. In many situations like giving blood or martyrdom we still decide that our actions will lead to greater happiness. The motivation may come from the promise of heaven, as in martyrdom or for a brief moment believe that we have done the right thing. We do it out of a belief, aware of it or not, that it is right, and that we will somehow benefit from it. This any action we do will lead to our greater happiness.
Everyone is selfish no matter what. This statement is true because selfishness is not even possible. Selfishness is driven by serving one’s feelings, values, or desires which is serving your being. Nobody chooses to be selfless because they hate it or are against it. People choose selfishness because they want to or do it because of their morals. The reason for choosing it is irrelevant; the reason always satisfies some aspect of their being. Even a person giving some spare change to charity, they don’t really want to do it, but still do it because their morals, virtues, and beliefs are driving him to do it. No person could bring themselves to reach this decision without a selfish reason.
The concept of selfishness is a sacrifice of our values to benefit others. The sacrifice of values cannot lead to happiness. Happiness is the joy that is produced from satisfying our values. Every action has a purpose, values guide our actions, and the ultimate purpose is life. The only other path available is to die. As in the “soldier covering the grenade” example, to act on that supposedly selfless act he would have already decided that the other people’s lives were more important than his. To achieve his greater happiness he must kill himself rather than let the people around him die when he could have done something to prevent it. Since selfishly pursuing ones values is to achieve happiness, selflessness is the guide to achieve suffering. To be selfish is to live. To be selfless is to die.
Selfish people and acts don’t exist. They do seemingly selfless acts to satisfy their inner values. To pursuit ones own happiness they must be selfish. Only selfishness allows mankind to move forwards. Only selfishness accepts man has the ability to think and this rational thought is needed for our continued existence. This is why selfless people and acts cannot possibly exist.
- Taken from www.shitsngiggles.tk forums
The desire of all humans is to increase one’s happiness. In any given situation a normal person would pick the path that would lead to happiness. If a person was put in a “your money or your life” situation most people would reason out to themselves that their happiness would be better satisfied by continuing to live other than die for their money. In many situations like giving blood or martyrdom we still decide that our actions will lead to greater happiness. The motivation may come from the promise of heaven, as in martyrdom or for a brief moment believe that we have done the right thing. We do it out of a belief, aware of it or not, that it is right, and that we will somehow benefit from it. This any action we do will lead to our greater happiness.
Everyone is selfish no matter what. This statement is true because selfishness is not even possible. Selfishness is driven by serving one’s feelings, values, or desires which is serving your being. Nobody chooses to be selfless because they hate it or are against it. People choose selfishness because they want to or do it because of their morals. The reason for choosing it is irrelevant; the reason always satisfies some aspect of their being. Even a person giving some spare change to charity, they don’t really want to do it, but still do it because their morals, virtues, and beliefs are driving him to do it. No person could bring themselves to reach this decision without a selfish reason.
The concept of selfishness is a sacrifice of our values to benefit others. The sacrifice of values cannot lead to happiness. Happiness is the joy that is produced from satisfying our values. Every action has a purpose, values guide our actions, and the ultimate purpose is life. The only other path available is to die. As in the “soldier covering the grenade” example, to act on that supposedly selfless act he would have already decided that the other people’s lives were more important than his. To achieve his greater happiness he must kill himself rather than let the people around him die when he could have done something to prevent it. Since selfishly pursuing ones values is to achieve happiness, selflessness is the guide to achieve suffering. To be selfish is to live. To be selfless is to die.
Selfish people and acts don’t exist. They do seemingly selfless acts to satisfy their inner values. To pursuit ones own happiness they must be selfish. Only selfishness allows mankind to move forwards. Only selfishness accepts man has the ability to think and this rational thought is needed for our continued existence. This is why selfless people and acts cannot possibly exist.
- Taken from www.shitsngiggles.tk forums