Theos-Talk Archives (December 1996 Message tl00781)

Tom Robertson writes:
>On Sun, 29 Dec 96, John Straughn <JTarn@envirolink.org> wrote:
>>The closest I may be able to come to
>>agreeing with her is to say that selfishness *was* an inevitable side-
>>effect to self-consciousness.
>
>It is impossible not to be selfish.  Unselfishness is not a repudiation of
>self-interest, but is an identification of self-interest with the interests
>of others.

Perhaps I should define selfishness (my definition).  When someone pursues
their own interests without consideration of another's, particularly at the
expense of others, they are being selfish.  Self-interest is perfectly fine,
that is unavoidable, I agree.  However, I believe that a truer definition of
unselfishness is considering others' interests and well-being before pursuing
and upholding one's own.  And if one's personal self-interest harms another
person in ANY way (intellectually, emotionally, physically, etc.), it would be
"selfish" to continue to pursue the interest in question.

---
The Triaist