What is the benefit of the selfishness — wonderful, great?
Contrary to popular belief, being selfish is in our best interest. We like to think we help people out of the kindness of our hearts, but such an approach leads to more suffering and conceitedness. Sure, we embody compassion and altruism, yet we wouldn’t grow as a species if we didn’t seek some reward or incentive. Interestingly enough, we reap our karmic rewards best when we aren’t trying. Akin to the law of attraction, we must know we contain what it takes to manifest. So, what is the benefit of the selfishness we don’t condone? Well, we must take off the rose-colored glasses to be sober, solid, and sure.
That said, why do nice guys finish last? Why would we help anyone if we gained nothing? What’s a worse fate: selfishness or selflessness? Who wants persecution for being something most never could touch nor fathom? Why scapegoat and subject ourselves to cyclic martyrdom since we must save ourselves, our salvation intrinsic?
Also, is selfishness inverted selflessness? Vice versa? Don’t we help others best when we don’t? Aren’t we healing the world by being ourselves, emanating our light to the masses and beyond? What would our world emulate and excavate if more people put themselves as the number-one priority? Would we still be stuck in an economy of debt, unrest, and military spending? Why do we keep displacing our value into infectious paradigms diseasing our estate and accelerating global poverty?
The Benefit of the Selfishness is the Route to Restored Balance, Ancient Wisdom
As such, it’s ironic that we think of selfishness as a pandemic when the latter commenced the moment we decided to turn a blind eye to the truth gawking in broad daylight. We end karmic cycles of torment when we understand the history behind our mistakes, vices, and strongholds. No matter how much society gaslights us to think insanity is healthy, we must detect the method behind the madness to know then break the rules. Indeed, we are exceptional based on the strength of this alone.
Then again, we don’t forgive the other person. We forgive ourselves. We don’t help the disenfranchised heal them but lift ourselves. As you can see, we improve or exacerbate because we desire to change or fear the ramifications of staying the same. We save lives to preserve our conscience and add tokens to the weight of our credentials. Our species think selfishness is a vice when it represents a return to form, the decryption of ancient wisdom and balance.
Nowadays, selfishness is the equivalent of protecting our ego or being emotionally stunted because of our frequent troubled, neglectful upbringing. Our cultural imprinting contaminates what we know, leaving us stranded in an ocean of loss in translation. Then, we displace ourselves more by thinking we must obtain an inherent virtue we shun and banish from social circles. Nonetheless, being selfish symbolizes the opportunity to heal the planet and equalize the balance of scales.
What is the Benefit of Selfishness: A Mutual Opportunity to Grow
When we can’t stop hurting, hearts bleeding down the drain, we lash out at others. All we see is red, and we yearn to drag everyone to the boughs of hell with us — our way or the highway. Instead of coexisting, we view ourselves via the dichotomous lens of polarity. In other words, our instincts hijack our intuition, seducing our minds to believe the world is a dangerous, heinous place coercing us to either be predators or prey, winner or loser, perpetrator or victim, etc.
Yes, hurting people hurt others, but we too often assume we must play the role of the parasite to renew our host. We operate from scarcity and think we need to take from another entity to garner success, fame, wealth, love, and fortune. Why not think of selfishness as mutualism, not parasitism, or commensalism? Isn’t selfishness a virtue when all parties benefit, blossom, and break through the mud? Who doesn’t need modeling about the displaced nature of self-preservation?
Do we need strings attached, or are we detached from stringing life in our favor? Would we help anyone if we didn’t reap more of the same blessings? Would we care about how our actions impact other people if karma didn’t discipline our negligence? Again, we must understand that everything commences with us. We are cardinal beings who must initiate a cycle of warmth, empathy, compassion, awareness, and love. Yet, first and foremost, we must spoil ourselves rotten or fresh.
If the Shoe Fits, Walk the Talk
Knowing how to treat and value and adore other people requires us to implement this in our lives. We must implement the insights and wisdom we cultivated into our lives before giving this understanding to the world’s affairs. Trial and error allow us to see what works best and eliminate any biases diluting the data efficacy.
Of course, this is how self-karma connotes selfishness. The quality of our experiences doesn’t depend on the profound sickness of external reality but the health and wellness of our internal universe. Indeed, being our best friend mirrors our empathy and boosts our overall perceptivity.
That said, why are we only somewhat ourselves? What if we were wholeheartedly us? Since when is narcissism an insidious society on its own? Why are we gasping for air when all the oxygen we need pools in our lungs, waiting to exhale? Why do we play human when the game of life illuminates our formless, incorporeal divinity? How do we find balance not caring for anyone and only caring for ourselves? If we must walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, why can’t we advertise our selfishness so the shoe fits, provoking a path of creation? Essentially, why do we care about people who don’t?
What is the Benefit of the Selfishness: Karma, Power of Love
Above all, we break the cycle of low empathy, discord, and apathy when we radiate from a state of authenticity. The eternal winter only displaces our power because we believe we don’t have any, a persistent, mischievous illusion. We must thaw the fog and frost to spring forward into the heart of nature. We are the reincarnation of karma and the power of love. Reaping the fruits of our labor is about being, not having.
So, what is the benefit of the selfishness? Well, we wouldn’t find our Higher Power, pillar of strength, if we didn’t experience the growing pains concerning fragmented essence. Indeed, first things first.
I read a book many years ago by Ayn Rand called “The Virtue of Selfishness,” and although many may scoff at the idea of selfishness as a virtue, I tend to agree that it can be a helpful quality to have. Our desires are uniquely ours, and we’d be doing ourselves a disservice if we ignored them because we feared we were acting too selfish or self-centered. These passions bring so much joy to life, and it’s wise to pay attention to their calls.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and contributing your expertise to the conversation!!
This article is a lot to take in but it rings true in many ways. While I think it’s important to reach out to others, to help and to heal ourselves and them as well but it’s more important to remember that we must think of ourselves first. How can we ever hope to make a difference in someone else’s life if we can even take care of ourselves? You covered it in one line, “We must understand that everything commences with us.” Thank you for the reminder!
You’re welcome! I am happy to help you prioritize your health and wellbeing in any way — there is nothing more satisfying!! Let me know if you have any ideas I could further explore down the line. Muchas gracias.
As I understand it, selfishness can alleviate some stressors. By preventing from over exerting one’s self or one’s resources, we could cease a long standing trend of exhaustion and unnecessary obligation. By reducing the things we commit to out of self sacrifice we, in turn, cans increase our own happiness.
I am pretty stunned by the counterintuitive approach. I grew up being selfless for the most part. However, I get frustrated by the lack of effort I have to exert to sustain myself and the other people I commit to.
How do you propose finding the balance between being selfish and maintaining a love of something other than one’s self?
Happy 111! First and foremost, keeping our thoughts positive manifests healthier outcomes and emotional wellbeing. When we project self-love, this [counterintuitive] approach reflects — karma is a boomerang!
All our needs, including helping others, fall into our laps when we let the rest of the process take care of itself. In other words, the true nature of selfishness is everything selfless could never be, only better.
I hope this helps. Thank you!
I was indeed shocked by the counterintuitive approach. I’m not sure that I fully grasped the concept of how selfishness relates to selflessness. Nevertheless, I found your article extremely interesting to read, if quite challenging to digest. I was fascinated by your comment “Why would we help anyone if we gained nothing”. I wonder if this refers to the material or the emotional gain? Because in doing good for others, there is most definitely an emotional euphoria. Definitely food for thought, thank you.
Yes, of course! Thanks for sharing!! Selfishness is the ultimate selflessness — it’s not emotionally intelligent to let people walk all over you, losing yourself in the process. Since we are equals, we must feel and treat ourselves this way. My intent was never to encourage someone to be soulless, cruel, or mean-spirited. I want people to value themselves and honor the worth residing within their souls. For the lack of better words, worship thy temple as God!
I believe I am a selfist!
Gain concerns every sphere of life and then some. The selfish approach helps us transcend the ego, illusion of separation, and power struggles. When we outsmart the system and cherish our souls, we re-member ourselves.
Every part must self-nourish to withstand the whole ground. Interconnected, we’re many of one, one of many.
What an amazing and deep article, this is the kind I you can read over and over again and still get value out of. The older I get, the more I see that Karma is indeed a real and tangible thing in our lives. I could not agree more with your assessment and it reminded me that often times when we neglect ourselves to put others first it can have disastrous consequences. When I was small child my parents let some a couple who were “down on their luck” stay with us. Long story short I woke up one morning and we had been totally robbed. Foolishly I did not learn the lesson and many years later I let my “friend” (also “down on their luck”) stay with my husband and I, we even let her use our extra car. 3 months later she was making our lives a living hell and my husband had to throw her out! I do feel altruism has its place, unfortunately there are many “takers” out there who are constantly looking for selfless people to take advantage of and victimize. Put yourself first, find success, and then you will be able to help others on your terms without the risk of severely damaging your life from a misguided act of “selflessness”!
I appreciate your commentary. Who wants to be a martyr or scapegoat? I am glad you found invaluable lessons out of my content. Thank you so much!!
I agree whole heartedly. I feel in-fact that it is selfishness that allows us to help other people overall. Because with selfishness we become the best version of ourselves and as unfortunate as it is, the world preys and takes advantage of people who are too selfless. We must do what is best for ourselves to do whats best for others.
Perfect 💯🤩👍
This post seriously is so good, I personally need to be selfish, at the moment I’m the opposite and some of the things you have mentioned here, I can definitely tick off as true.
I used to think being selfish was a bad thing but somehow after reading your post I can now understand why needing a little selfishness is healthy. They say looking after yourself is important, a little selfishness wouldn’t hurt.
Thanks for giving me an insight into how selfishness can be a good thing.
You’re welcome 🤩🤩🤩 I appreciate your contribution to the conversation. Indeed, you are the first priority.