Meaning of selfishness (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Egoism:

Selfishness is called the attitude of someone who manifests excessive love for himself, and who only deals with what is for his own interest and benefit, without attending or repairing the needs of others.

The word, as such, comes from the Latin ego , which means 'I', and is made up of the suffix -ism , which indicates the attitude of one who only expresses interest in his own.

Elegoism can also be recognized in all those actions carried out for personal interest, for their own benefit, and without looking at the needs, opinions, tastes or interests of others. The acts thus carried out can be described as selfish.

Selfishness, as such, is an attitude that makes it difficult to relate to others, because the selfish person treats and makes others feel as if they do not exist, or as if their concerns or ideas do not matter. Hence, it is also compared with individualism.

In this sense, selfishness is an antivalue, opposed to values ​​as important to human coexistence as solidarity, gratitude or altruism.

See also:

• Selfish.Ego.

Moral selfishness

In Philosophy, moral or ethical selfishness is a system of philosophical thought according to which people always work for their own benefit, but in an ethical and rational way, with respect for the other, obeying common sense, and honoring axioms of the “no” style. do to others what you don't want them to do to you ”.

See also:

• Anti-values.Individualism. 50 defects of a person: from the least annoying to the most serious.

Selfishness according to the Bible

Selfishness is an attitude that is opposed to love of neighbor, preached by the Christian faith. In this regard, the biblical text states:

"Do nothing out of selfishness or vainglory, but rather with a humble attitude, each of you consider the other as more important than himself, not each seeking his own interests, but rather the interests of others" ( Philippians , II: 3-4).

Selfishness in Psychology

From a psychological perspective, selfishness refers to a set of human behaviors that can be manifested in:

• egotism, which is the feeling of someone who has an exaggerated idea of ​​their own importance; self-centeredness, which is the attitude of those who believe that everything revolves solely around their interests, and, asocial, which is that of those who show no interest in other people or in integrating into social life.