Just self-interest?

[Magraheed]

"Who the fuck quotes themselves anyway? How stupid is that?"-Magraheed Lol

Is everything, no matter what we do, allways of some sort of self interess?

Can there be a truly selfless act?


Um no, even by writting this thread im looking for attention.

Your views?

[our_mutual_friend]

I guess it depends on how you see it. I mean, you could say that just waking up in the mornings is self-interest because you want to be awake. Just by replying is self-interest because I want you all to see what I have to say. But that could also be said is communal interest. Even shared interest as you might want to see what I have to say (which in turn is self-interest as it may benefit you ... nooo never-ending circles!!!)

Shared interest actually is a part of everything that we do too. Take the getting up in the mornings thing - its in your interest for you to get up. But its also in other people's interest to see you up e.g. your mum yelling at you to get up or a friend at school.

So by saying that everything we do is in self-interest is a very selfish way of seeing things, as it is seeing things from a one-sided selfish point of view. It often happens that things we do are done in our self-interest, but many other things are done in the ineterest of others, but are conceived as self-interest, when they are the exact opposite.

Confusing, huh?

I think selfless acts are what you make of them. If someone is drowning in a lake and you selflessly jump in to save them it is eventually possible to see that it was not selfless as they get so much attention for it afterwards.
You just have to accept that it was what was meant in the first place.

Like Princess Diana - she was going to war torn areas and holding starving babies. Selfless? Perhaps. But I for one have my doubts on that one.

[Magraheed]

"think selfless acts are what you make of them. If someone is drowning in a lake and you selflessly jump in to save them it is eventually possible to see that it was not selfless as they get so much attention for it afterwards."


The act of trying to save someones life is indeed selfish to me anyway. Your thinking im going to be a hero, im gonna get some attention.

When we have a conversation with someone, we make out that we are really interessted in what they have to say, but we are waiting for the conversation to switch and talk about us and them to talk about us.

Basicly you could have unselfish intentions but i think there is allways a selfish intention, even if its small its still there.

I dunno, i just thought it would be interessting to here what you guys thought about it.

Or did I =)

[our_mutual_friend]

Everything we do may have an element of self-interest, but this is after it has been subjected to thought. Often we do not think consisely enough to understand what we are about to do and then analyse its self-interest.


When we have a conversation with someone, we make out that we are really interessted in what they have to say, but we are waiting for the conversation to switch and talk about us and them to talk about us.

That's sad that you have to be so cynical about it. It may be self-gained self-interest involved in any conversation, but it doesn't worry people enough to go and live in a hole for the rest of their lives. (And even then that could be self-interest as we are alone :huh: )

Pretty confusing ...

[Simotix]

Originally posted by [email protected] 24 2005, 12:59 AM
Is everything, no matter what we do, allways of some sort of self interess?
I am on this board because of the self interest of a society other then what is on this board.

I educate my self on topics not learned in school because of interest.

I teach others of such principles and values I learn out of self interest out of how they will react to it (and hopefully understand).

[Magraheed]

"sad that you have to be so cynical about it. It may be self-gained self-interest involved in any conversation, but it doesn't worry people enough to go and live in a hole for the rest of their lives. (And even then that could be self-interest as we are alone )
"

Im not living my life in a hole about it, im just saying thats what it is Lol The truth is sad! its better than living a lie and acting like its not there.

[our_mutual_friend]

I never implied that we should act like its not there. Just that it is difficult to consider self-interest about everything that we do, because if we did that we wouldn't do anything, as we would be too worried to do anything in case it did/didn't contain self-interest. It's like choosing a character for yourself and acting accordingly and automatonishly (!)
Just saying that we should consider self-interest to a sensible degree.

[Magraheed]

Yea i agree, its not possible to escape it so we might as well not worry about it, it does not make you a bad person, its what all humans have.

Anyway everything is of some degree of self-interest!

I just thought it would be fun to discuss as i was bored

[our_mutual_friend]

Might be fun if we're not the only ones discussing it ...

[Magraheed]

ha

[Free Spirit]

If we wouldn't do things for self-interest at all it would be like living for each other and never for our selves. It doesn't mean it's selfish because you don't ignore your self. Selfishness appears if we are out of balance between "doings" for our selves and others. But then our "will of doing" is a form of self-interest.
Not wanting to be selfish is a form of self-interest as you're doing it for yourself by doing things for others as it makes us feel bad.
So I agree... everything we do is a form of self-interest!

[redchrisfalling]

Everything we do has some degree of self intrest only because the people who perform selfless act want to do them. For example every Saturday i wake up and do everything within my power to make my friends and comrades happy. (yes there is a distinction between the two) I dont care what the cost to me is because they are the most important things in my life. Is this selfless...probavly. Is there self intrest...absolutly.

The two consepts should not be thought of interchangeably.

[Re-visionist 05]

Yeah, it pretty much is, after all, the human perception of reality is completly based on individual perception. The world we live in is pretty much made through a universal comprimise.