Everything we do is an act of selfishness as no matter what it is, we have an intention of an outcome, something that benefits us in some way, whether materially or emotionally. We get something out of it, or plan to. If there is a selfless act, it is one made unaware, unconscious of what one is doing or the results of those actions. An accidental good.
Self-interest and greed however I see as two different things. Greed is to maximize no matter the costs, no matter the harm caused to others, no matter the oppression, enslavement or violence it causes. Self-interest however is to maximize the self in regards tho the environment both now, and in the potential future.
If we took a simple view and of eating sugary food as an example, we could see that in the moment, we could eat a lot and it would taste good but, in the short-term, we would soon feel sick, our insulin would spike, maybe nausea, thinking impaired and not too long after, a sugar crash as the body struggles to balance what it isn't designed to handle.
However, if we continue this process and look to the mid-term view, we are likely to start seeing ourselves put on weight, mood swings, skin issues, concentration and sleeping problems. Going into the long-term view, we will be overweight, sickly, potentially have diabetes, trouble moving, heavy discomfort, joint problems, lack of motivation, and are more likely to be depressed. It is in our own self-interest to eat well enough so that in the future we have the opportunity to do more and continue adding value to ourselves. Of course, depending on where we live, the burden on health services is also greatly diminished the healthier we are.
This idea of adding value to the self is an important one though as some take it to be selfish yet, it is not. Adding value to the self is the way an artist hones their skill or a scientist learns the necessary information to solve complex equations. These skills can in turn add vast amounts of value to a community.
As the analogy goes, there is no one on earth who can make a ballpoint pen from start to finish. There are just too many intricate and specialized areas for one person to do alone as one would need to cover all of the supply chain from mining to chemical engineering, machining to moulding. But, we all want to use a pen, which means self-interested cooperation and reliance to gather the skills necessary to complete the tasks of what no one person can do alone.
Those who want to be truly self-sufficient would have to make sure that they have the skills and access to every single thing they need, which is a way of living that very, very, very few people are actually willing to live. It is to be completely off the land with only the tools one can make oneself. Without anyone else required at all, not even for a friendly word of encouragement.
Froma comment a few moments ago:
Our situations dictate how our benefits come to us. If we depend on the community, then we will maximise the community above ourselves or risk being ousted and on our own. However, if we are not dependant upon the community, but can gain something from it without having to make an input, then many people would happily take that opportunity and when it's no longer available then they have gained without a loss. We only need to cooperate for growth, if we don't already have the means to grow on our own. -
Yes, this is the case isn't it but, what stage of the self is this in? Short, mid or long term view? We only need to cooperate for growth, if we don't already have the means to grow on our own." This works under the assumption that we will always have the ability to grow on our own so, the community doesn't matter. It is a short-term (mid at best) view that doesn't consider even our own future needs, let alone the unforeseeable changes that could (and are likely) to come.
If we look long-term, it is almost always in our best interests to engage in give and take with the community, to be provider and beneficiary as in the long term view, it is that same community that will pull together in times of need. The problem is though, we are living in a continually increasing rate of instant gratification where the maximization and the feelings of immediate please take precedence over what is in our own self interest later.
If you don't believe me, just look at the global obesity epidemic and take the US as an example. In the United States of America – 33.70% of the population are regarded as obese. source This is indicative of a short-term view of eating behaviour and even though all of the statistics and information is available, the rates are only increasing. People eat for pleasure and they are pleasuring themselves a lot... so to speak. Do they feel good for all of that enjoyment consumed? I know I don't and I am likely about 5-7 kilograms overweight at the moment.
But, this goes through to everything we do. We want what we want now, regardless of whether we have earned the money to pay for it. We are offered monthly terms that make it affordable, get now, pay later. And we pay, it is called a debt cycle and we are programmed to take part until it is ingrained and institutionalized. Our want for convenience, our want for pleasure and enjoyment and our aversion to discomfort drives us onward wanting more and more and trying to forego the future cost but, it always catches up.
We are making these decisions to buy, not the advertisers. We are making the decisions to do everything we do because we want something out of it. I want something out of it too. Me, myself. Not selfless.
My support of the community is in my own self-interest as it is in the interest of others as for as I see it, a strong community is what is best equipped to provide continued support in the long-term. I can maximize myself in the short term and be okay but, if something happens, who has my back? The government, the banks, the friends I didn't make, the connections I broke, the community I only took from?
Me (or anyone else) giving part of themselves to the community isn't a selfless act, it is an act of investing into the future. We all want something out of it, we all want a future where life is better and that better life is going to depend greatly on whether the lives of those around us are better also. As i said in the last post, this is a process of enlightened self-interest, and anyone that says they are acting selflessly is mistaken or, manipulative.
The problem here is that there is very little cost to the short-term over-eating extractor behaviour as for the most part, there is anonymity, grey areas and complexities to hide such acts. It is even hard to tell who acts in the best interest of the community or who is harming it when faces are shown.
No one knows where the experiment will go but acting the way we have been programmed to act already has real-life case studies as evidence it doesn't work. It is in this training and programming by the very groups we are trying to escape that holds us back, separates us and makes sure that we act in the short-term so our long-term view, is aligned with theirs.
You might be acting greedily, but at the end of the day, you are controlled and the greed you feed is that of the people who hold your leash. We have a chance to do different at the very least, if not much better.
Taraz
[ a Steemit original ]