Selfishness and Greed in the "New Normal"

Is it okay to be selfish in a society that is demanding conformity?

To those who will read this: Apologies for the length. I could have gone on for dozens of pages. I’m glad I stopped when I did. Ha!

Selfish:  Concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being...

Greed: A selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money or power) than is needed.

One might think at first glance that there is not much difference between selfishness and greed.  But, in reality, there are some major differences.  It can get confusing as well because there are times when *both* selfishness and greed (which seem like really negative traits) are a good thing.  Yep.  I just said that. 

One can look up both of these words in different versions of dictionaries and find all kinds of varied definitions.  I chose the ones that would, hopefully, be relevant in this post. 

What is interesting to me is the word *excessively* in the definition of selfish.  Over the last 2 years, give or take a few months, we have heard nothing but rhetoric from people in society about making sure that every single action, gesture, activity (and a myriad of other things) be done *only* with others in mind.  After all, we are all in this together, right?  How do I say this without totally pissing everyone off… hmm, ok, I’ll just come out and say it:  NO WE ARE NOT.  There are times when selfishness is extremely important.  If something I am doing is actually *harming* me, my family, my loved ones or my community I am totally within my right to be completely selfish to fix or reverse whatever is causing the harm (to a point).  I am going to bring up the “face covering” again as an example.  First, not only from 30 years of experience, but from numerous articles and opinions of professionals, it does little to no good whatsoever to cover one’s face in the hopes that it will stop a person from “giving someone” a disease or from catching said disease themselves.  I am someone who has fought asthma my entire life and, for me, wearing a “virtuous” “face covering” is more dangerous than the risk of “catching” something.  So, I err on the side of selfishness.  I am *selfish* with my health because I would only end up being a burden to my family and my community if I became chronically ill by doing something that doesn’t make sense just to appear virtuous other people.

Continuing with selfishness:  Selfishness becomes a problem when we are so rigid about certain things that it really *does* affect others.  I’m not sure where I’m going with this, but one example I can think of off the top of my head is if I let my German Shepherd bark non-stop (and I mean non-stop) for hours on end, day and night and my neighbor comes over and politely asks if I would please do something about it because they are having trouble sleeping, and I rudely tell them to F off because it’s my house and my dog and if they don’t like it they can wear earplugs.  *That* is bad selfish behavior on my part.  I could go on and on with more examples.  They are legion. 

Here is my personal summation of what selfishness kind of means to me in today’s insane society (apologies if it sounds confusing):  If someone falls in front of me and I am able to assist them in getting back on their feet, I will help them.  If someone is in a horrible accident in their automobile and I happen upon the scene, I will render aid and call the EMTs.  If a person is needy and asks for some food or a small loan, if I am able, I will help.  If I am sick, I’ll do what WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE as a society:  I’ll stay home.   But if a person, institution, government or any other imaginable entity tells me that I have to do something with my body to make sure someone else “feels” safe.  I tell them where they can get off.  I am *selfish* with my own body and my own health. I *know* my own risk and I know what risk I’m willing to take.  It is quite literally impossible for me to do something to make someone else healthy.  Doing something that is risky for *my* health does absolutely nothing to change the outcome for someone who isn’t selfish with their own health.  Period. 

On to greed.  I’ve already made this post much too long.  Apologies.  I will wrap this up as quickly as possible. There is a huge difference between me wanting to work a bit harder to make more money to buy my family something they need (healthy greed), and me being a workaholic that works 18 hours a day so that I can give my family everything they *want*.  One would maybe think that this doesn’t sound greedy because, after all, I am doing it for my family.  My opinion is, that my desire to make the money to buy the nice things (not needed) for them is more important to me than doing without the extra stuff and spending time with them and enjoying my life with them.  Time that can never be replaced.  That is unhealthy greed on a personal level. 

What we are experiencing in our society today is greed on a *corporate* and *government* level.  Greed for power, control and money.  This type of greed is more destructive than any selfishness or “personal” greed could possibly be.  Corporations who have the money to literally buy off politicians (and whole governments) who will write laws demanding that people either buy or take whatever “product” they are producing.  Or, my favorite, (especially as of the last almost 2 years) buying off politicians who don’t even introduce legislation to make laws, but instead wave their magic pen and sign some kind of “order” (that isn’t even a law) demanding we take or buy or use a product (or do something with our body) that enriches said corporation. 

With companies bragging right now that they are literally raking in $1000.00 a SECOND in profit from a forced product (yep, the shots that are being purchased with our tax dollars and forced on society), one wonders why people haven’t put it together yet.  One wonders why people aren’t demanding that this madness stop.  We wonder…

I didn’t really want to end there, but I don’t want those who are so kind as to read my rants to get bored either. 

This is my summary in one sentence:  *Personal* selfishness and greed, at the proper levels, is not only healthy but it is extremely important to a civil and prosperous society.  *Corporate* and *Government* selfishness and greed destroys prosperity and civility. 

I know that this conversation could go on and on and on and I also know that many people have their own take on this.  I realize as well that many people disagree completely with my opinion.   A lot of young people think that if we all just started doing things for everyone else and denied ourselves our “selfish health” and our own happiness, the world would be some kind of utopia.  They are sadly mistaken (and lack maturity when it comes to society and how it works in reality).  It’s been tried over and over again throughout history.  The most successful (and healthiest) societies in history were those that allowed people the freedom to have healthy *personal* selfishness and greed. 

Thank you for reading The Rumble Strip