What is your Selfish?

Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash

A question for all of us.

…

Do you think of yourself before others?

How does it feel when I ask?

Are you selfish?

We recoil from the word. I know how it makes me feel. There is a sense of negativity in selfish.

I want to say an emphatic “No! I’m not selfish. I’m not all the negative connotations the world associates with that word!”

Let’s look at the word itself for a moment and discuss the meaning.

Defining Selfish (from Dictionary.com)

1. Devoted to or caring only for oneself, concerned primarily with one’s interests, benefits, welfare, etc. regardless of others.

2. Characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself.

Is it a bad thing?

Does selfish deserve negativity?

I say “maybe.” It can be negative to make choices with no regard for others or with caring only for oneself.

I don’t think it’s fundamentally a bad thing to make choices primarily in one’s interests. I think the negativity begins when you add the words “only for oneself .”

It’s healthy to be a little selfish in life.