Selfishness and Greed

 

Selfishness is correctly defined as "concern for the self". Greed is correctly defined as "the desire and pursuit of values". Thus selfishness and greed are necessary, but not sufficient, for personal moral goodness. Selfish and greedy persons must also be rational, enlightened, and wise to be genuinely morally good.

Selfishness and greed – despite what virtually everybody has believed since about 500 B.C. -- are not necessarily or naturally anti-social or socially destructive. These two related virtues don’t necessarily or naturally involve predation or parasitism. Indeed, just the opposite. Society prospers under them.

Meanwhile, those who are anti-social, socially destructive, predatory, or parasitic in their behavior are not acting with rationality, enlightenment, or wisdom. They are not being truly selfish and greedy. With personal activity of this kind, almost never does the Holy Individual profit or achieve his values.

Those who break their diet and exercise regimen end up fat, weak, and unhealthy. This is not to their self-interest or greedy benefit. Those who fail to show up at their job, or work lazily or poorly, end up fired and broke. Their behavior does not constitute genuine selfishness and greed. Those who abuse or betray their family and friends end up disowned by their relatives and friendless. Such acts aren't seriously selfish or greedy. It’s obvious that those who habitually assault and rob their fellows wind up hated by all and in jail. And certainly those who generally act as monsters and destroyers in their lifestyle are failing to live up to the human ideal of being creative, inventive, and productive. They are damaging or surrendering their reputation, social trust, honor, pride, self-esteem, integrity, ideals, inner peace, and noble soul. The long-term and overall selfish and greedy rewards of such behavior is nil.

Perhaps in some limited and crude way such dreadful and failed people could fairly and truly be described as acting in a "virtuously" selfish and greedy manner. But such fools and scoundrels lack insight and cleverness. The absence of rationality, enlightenment, and wisdom in their behavior means they end up miserable and devastated. Such animals lose their humanity, vitality, vivacity, spirit, sense of satisfaction, feeling of confidence and tranquility, and almost everything that makes life worth living. Callousness, betrayal, brutality, robbery, and murder are not conducive to personal greatness and happiness. A person's real self-interest and best values are forfeited. Ultimately, such lowlifes and losers can accurately be described as self-sacrificing, self-immolating, self-repudiating, and self-destroying.

Not much selfishness and greed in that!