2007-12-13 00:45:04 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Senior Citizens
I think one can live for the others and devote himself for the a noble goal i his life, but that doesn't contradict with the idea that he should live for himself also...It is not called selfishness...you can be happy and entertain yourself and keep giving the other.....you can balance....
2007-12-13 00:55:23 · answer #1 · answered by Arwa 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I know some selfish people who couldn't be happier. They are so self centered they can't walk a straight line and thats the way it has to be for them. It is all in the eyes of the beholder, I must admit I am selfish about some things, as everyone I have ever known is to some degree. Ever had half a pie in the refrig.? You can find out real fast who is selfish.
Rand is a smart cookie.
2007-12-13 04:59:02 · answer #2 · answered by Star doodle 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, one can be selfish and happy at the same time. Whether it's a good thing or not is a different story (and question) altogether.
2007-12-13 00:53:01 · answer #3 · answered by Dellilah Patchouly 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Never met one. Many selfish act happy but you can just look at them and tell they are really bitter and manipulative and jealous that others seem to get anything at all.
2007-12-13 00:54:06 · answer #4 · answered by Southern Comfort 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I am sure there are some selfish people that think they are happy. But I dont believe it.
2007-12-13 00:49:47 · answer #5 · answered by Aloha_Ann 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
One can always delude themselves into thinking they're happy being a selfish person, I suppose. I don't believe it's real happiness.
2007-12-13 00:52:27 · answer #6 · answered by Sunshine 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
An alternative view of selfishness.....[The Virtue of Selfishness]
Purely for your reading
Ayn Rand rejects altruism, the view that self-sacrifice is the moral ideal. She argues that the ultimate moral value, for each human individual, is his or her own well-being. Since selfishness (as she understands it) is serious, rational, principled concern with one's own well-being, it turns out to be a prerequisite for the attainment of the ultimate moral value. For this reason, Rand believes that selfishness is a virtue.
In the introduction to her collection of essays on ethical philosophy, The Virtue of Selfishness (VOS), Rand writes that the "exact meaning" of selfishness is "concern with one's own interests" (VOS, vii). In that work, Rand argues that a virtue is an action by which one secures and protects one's rational values—ultimately, one's life and happiness. Since a concern with one's own interests is a character trait that, when translated into action, enables one to achieve and guard one's own well-being, it follows that selfishness is a virtue. One must manifest a serious concern for one's own interests if one is to lead a healthy, purposeful, fulfilling life.
Rand understands, though, that the popular usage of the word, "selfish," is different from the meaning she ascribes to it. Many people use the adjective "selfish" to describe regard for one's own welfare to the disregard of the well-being of others. Moreover, many people would be willing to characterize any instance of desire-satisfaction in these circumstances as "selfish," no matter what its content. Thus, many people arrive at the following composite image: selfish people are brutish people who are oblivious to the negative consequences of their actions for their friends and loved ones and who abuse the patience, trust, and good will of all comers to satisfy their petty whims.
Rand certainly recognizes that there are people who fit this description, and she certainly does not believe that their behavior is in any sense virtuous. But she opposes labeling them "selfish." Rand believes that this application of the word blurs important philosophical distinctions and foreordains false philosophical doctrines. First, this understanding of selfishness construes both whim-fulfillment and the disregard of others' interests as genuinely self-interested behaviors, which they are not. Second, this understanding of selfishness suggests an altruist framework for thinking about ethics.
2007-12-13 02:16:32 · answer #7 · answered by sage seeker 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I can only answer for myself and the answer would be no. I would have too much guilt gut.
There is an excellent answer above me. I thought perhaps I had stumbled onto the philosophy section by mistake. Lots of food for thought, as well.
2007-12-13 05:55:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ask Donald Trump
2007-12-13 00:49:36 · answer #9 · answered by b r 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps someone without a conscience can, others on the other hand enjoy helping other people. I agree with Ndnqua, Karma will bite them!
2007-12-13 01:18:48 · answer #10 · answered by slk29406 6 · 5⤊ 1⤋