To be self-less is to put others first, before ourselves. What I have learned is that the act of selflessness actually produces outcomes that personally serve myself.
And so my question becomes, is what lies beneath these self-less acts a selfish intention?
Perhaps there is.
Wouldn’t it be interesting to learn that being selfish for this reason actually may not be a horrible thing.
Let’s think about what being selfish actually means. Google will tell you that it is:
(of a person, action, or motive) lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one’s own personal profit or pleasure.
The opposite of lacking consideration for others, would be to be considerate. Makes sense, but it’s the clause that follows that gets me.
“chiefly concerned with ones own profit or pleasure”
So is the opposite of this not to put yourself first? Is the implication here that we should not be self-serving in an attempt to experience pleasure?
Here’s my point with this whole thing:
If we help others, we ultimately help ourselves. The act of selflessness produces outcomes for both parties in the act, and I wonder, is that so bad?