does anyone else have a constant battle of selfishness vs selflessness

[wildflowers1996]

I think I'm a mix of both and I'm always scared the selfish side is going to win.

 

[Innereye]

Look into egoism my friend. Everything ties back to self-interest in one way or another, altruism is a grandiose delusion.

 

[wildflowers1996]

Pl

Look into egoism my friend. Everything ties back to self-interest in one way or another, altruism is a grandiose delusion.

I always found the idea there is no selfless good deed really depressing

Maybe altruism isn't real but empathy is - there are people here who would choose to die but don't because of love for their families

 

[Innereye]

Pl

I always found the idea there is no selfless good deed really depressing

Maybe altruism isn't real but empathy is - there are people here who would choose to die but don't because of love for their families

While more tangible empathy still is still a survival mechanism in the end that routes back to object relations, projective identification and self-interest like all things

Being a human is a chore.

 

[wildflowers1996]

no i started my life selfless because of the moral codes that shaped what i precieved as good or bad, but as soon i realized more about the realities of this corrupt world and how two faced almost every relationship there would be little to no pleasure in being selfless.

what makes you feel the need to sacrifice more of your individuality and willpower for the joy of others? by nature and luck this world is already extremely poisonous and plays huge favoritism

I think guilt. I do think if there was an option for one person to die and one person to live an extremely happy life, I would give the second option to my family members rather than to me. It doesn't make me any more "good" for doing that; it's still selfish because I'm looking to avoid guilt. And if they knew I'd chosen for them to die so I could be happy I couldn't bear them feeling so unloved

 

[Forever Sleep]

I'm mostly selfish but then, most of the people left in my life now are too so- I feel like it balances out. Neither of us expect all that much from the other.

That said, I've stayed alive for them. That feels kind of selfless I suppose. I don't think it's in my best interests!