Why Selflessness Is Not The Best Way To Combat Selfishness

It is ultimately our decision

Image by klimkin

The best thing about the self is that it is your own. High philosophy, I know; sorry about that. If I feel the urge to write about it, however, it is because all too often we seem to forget about such an inherent trait of such an essential concept.

Selling Our Selves

Indeed, we frequently find ourselves selling it to others for money or protection or love or friendship, or whatever it is we require. Naturally, we all need all of those. They shouldn’t come at the expense of the self, though. When our dreams are plagued by work, we are giving our sense of self to our employer. When we can only think about pleasing those we wish to reciprocate our feelings, we are giving away our sense of self. Regardless of how much or little money we may have, selling our sense of self is the ultimate price. With the self gone, there is nothing but a carcass around a soul that is little more than a patchwork of other people’s desires and intentions.

Selfless?

I believe this is why the term ‘selfless’ has never sat down well with me. How can you be generous without a sense of self? Isn’t generosity a conscious act? Doesn’t a generous action necessitate the deliberate decision of the generous subject for it to be…