People are selfish

[HKitty]

Everything everyone does is entirely selfish. Even if you do something entirely to help someone else out, you're gaining more than if you hadn't, because to you it's worth more in that instance to "help someone else". What you want in that case is for someone else to gain. You gain from their gaining in that instance because the thing which you profit from is their profiting. Profit isn't just about "money+things"; profit is about subjective gain in value.

I think you're talking about the term "self-interest", not selfishness.
I think Krae meant selfishness as in the generally accepted definition: not caring about anyone EXCEPT yourself, and your own self-gratification. Like when it's not even to your own self-interest to help out another person..

[Hot Scalding Gayser]

Gilly, you're a self-admitted narcissist. Don't you think your opinion on this subject is a bit biased. =D

I think we're just a complex, interesting mix of both altruistic and selfish qualities, definitely- and neither side is really bad or good.

As for us making love being about selfishly replicating our genes. Hmm, not really. Otherwise you would only want to have sex when the woman could breed. Why be horny for any other reason? And humans, even if they are 110% heterosexual-- just aren't wired that way. And the very fact that we have a conscious awareness of all this crap tells me that we're meant to take a higher path, somehow- from our natural base instincts anyway, even when we should always give respect to it. (Deep down everybody likes to be throat fucked in the maw and I kinda like it that way) But because we have an awareness of ourselves and can look at these supposed "dark" or "natural" qualities, that means to me we're obviously meant for something more.

ie, insert a self-aggrandizing speech about the limitlessness of human potential and all that gay Star Trek crap here.

[Gilly]

Gilly, you're a self-admitted narcissist. Don't you think your opinion on this subject is a bit biased. =D

I'm always biased

As for us making love being about selfishly replicating our genes. Hmm, not really. Otherwise you would only want to have sex when the woman could breed. Why be horny for any other reason? And humans, even if they are 110% heterosexual-- just aren't wired that way. And the very fact that we have a conscious awareness of all this crap tells me that we're meant to take a higher path, somehow- from our natural base instincts anyway, even when we should always give respect to it. (Deep down everybody likes to be throat fucked in the maw and I kinda like it that way) But because we have an awareness of ourselves and can look at these supposed "dark" or "natural" qualities, that means to me we're obviously meant for something more.

lmfao

You're missing the point though. The point is that we all have biological mechanisms that dictate: "I should have sex;" we feel better if we have sex than if we don't, so in an instinctual sense, sex is selfish, whether it's for procreation or not.

ftr I don't think procreation is typically selfish in a "narcissistic" self-image sense; more that we just want to have sex.

[strrrng]

It's selfish when you can't conceive of that which is outside of your own boundaries, and thus possess zero potential to extend past yourself, for another. Actions demonstrate this by the relative emphasis they put on self and other, within the given parameters of a situation.

[Hot Scalding Gayser]

Selfishness does limit you in that way. Even Esther Hicks limits herself to talk to mealy-mouthed middle-class losers about feeling better about themselves. I mean you'd think her 'Vibrational Alignment' or whatever would have something more in store for her, but I suppose it makes one feel special to be that bossy. The more you extend in return the more you help yourself, so I definitely see what you mean there Nick. It's not really about being selfish or not, it's just the more selfless you are- the more you tend to experience and grow and the more you do that- the more of a quality leader you are.

I think people have a tendency to view selflessness as this thingie where like you are 'too nice' and let people walk all over you or some shit but it's really not like that. It's more like the more you give yourself up the more you can relate to others and see others went through the same shit as you do, so the more you want to be a helper and since everybody needs to be helped in different ways- as that is what society is based upon, ummmm.....it's just this really good ripple effect that I don't see how anybody can really fight against it.

Even if you're introverted, we're social beings- we're meant to help and communicate and get along. Not disney-ish it's just how we're born and wired.

[Gilly]

I think you're talking about the term "self-interest", not selfishness.

This.