B.Løvetann

Yesterday, I wrote about whether prejudice is really a form of selfishness.

But then another thought crossed my mind.

What is selfishness, really?

We often use the word as if it automatically means something negative. As if thinking about yourself is somehow wrong.

But is it really that simple?

If I help another person because it makes me happy, does that make my action selfish?

Maybe.

After all, I help because it gives me a good feeling. I enjoy seeing other people happy. It means something to me.

But does that make the act any less kind?

I don’t think so.

In fact, I believe that much of what we do as human beings is driven by the fact that it gives us something in return.

Sometimes it’s joy.

Sometimes it’s purpose.

Sometimes it’s love.

Sometimes it’s simply the feeling of being a good person.

And is there really anything wrong with that?

It made me think about the safety instructions you hear on an airplane.

They always tell you the same thing:

Put on your own oxygen mask before helping the person next to you.

That instruction isn’t about selfishness in a negative sense.

It’s about the simple fact that if you can’t take care of yourself first, you won’t be able to help anyone else.

Maybe life works the same way.

If we never listen to our own needs, never set boundaries, and always put everyone else first, it’s easy to become exhausted.

And when we’re running on empty, we often have less to give.

Maybe the question isn’t whether we’re selfish or not.

Maybe the real question is how our selfishness affects the people around us.

Because there is a kind of selfishness that hurts others.

The kind where your own needs always come first, regardless of the consequences.

But perhaps there’s also a kind of selfishness that does good.

The kind that encourages us to take care of ourselves so that we have the energy, strength, and presence to be there for others.

Everything has its yin and yang.

Even a word like selfishness, which usually carries a negative meaning, may have a positive side.

Maybe selfishness itself isn’t the problem.

Maybe it only becomes a problem when what I do for myself comes at someone else’s expense.

But if what I do for myself also makes life a little better for the people around me…

Is that really selfishness?

Or is it simply a healthy way of being human? ❤️