In Acceptance of Selfishness
Ways to make this primary need a healthy practice.
Selfishness is seen as a dirty practice in a morally corrupt world fighting to lean in the way of caring, sacrifice, altruism, and love. But selfishness is also a good practice that many of us should adopt.
The word selfish is widely accepted as a descriptor of a self-caring, self-serving individual who has little to no regard for anyone else. Among its synonyms are egotism, egomania, self-absorption, thoughtlessness, and self-seeking.
However, selfishness can also be defined as “concern with one’s own interest,” “self-regard,” and “self-love.” In these definitions, there are no evaluative statements or moral judgments about putting oneself first. There is no measure of rightness or wrongness or of goodness or badness.
What’s wrong with ethically pursuing one’s interests in education, business, and finances? When we do these things, society and those closest to us regard us as climbers, achievers, go-getters, planners, balanced, determined, persevering, brave, ingenious, and savvy.
Biblically, it is natural, right, and beneficial to love oneself to a reasonable degree. According to Mark 12:31, we must love our neighbors as ourselves. It is, then, a mark of good judgment to love ourselves, for if we do not, we…
