Now if we consider human nature, we might think that no person can be entirely concerned with one’s own benefit nor entirely for that of others.

 Cambridge English dictionary defines selfishness as “the quality of thinking only of your own advantage”. Another definition is “the tendency to act excessively or solely in a manner that benefits oneself, even if others are disadvantaged”. The latter definition has been given by the APA dictionary of psychology. So simply put, selfishness is thinking and behaving in a way that ensures one’s own benefit without regarding the welfare of others.

Human Nature

Now if we consider human nature, we might think that no person can be entirely concerned with one’s own benefit nor entirely for that of others. We see some people being highly inconsiderate of others. But we also see examples of acts of selflessness and altruism around us and it could make us wonder what motive might lie behind the acts of generosity. Do people help others to gain a good reputation? Do they actually care? We tend to think if a person helps us they might want something in return, which might be true in some cases while not so much in others.

If we look at the lives of ancient humans we see that they used to hunt or gather food in groups and they shared all their resources when life was simpler. Some tribes used to fight over resources at times of scarcity and their survival at that time might have depended on their ‘selfish’ acts.

Survival Instinct

It can be said that “selfish” acts tend to serve an adaptive purpose because if you do not fend for yourself during difficult times, others might not help you. However, individuals within a group such as a family can be seen prioritizing others’ needs before their own.

Children from a very early age are familiar with the concept of fairness and tend to notice if they receive injustice such as receiving fewer candies than their siblings. In this case, a child might throw a tantrum or cry. On the other hand, children can also be very generous.

Conditioning

The quality of what we prioritize can be inherited to some extent. But an additional role is played by an individual’s environment and the way an individual is raised. A person might consider being more generous in certain situations while being more self-interested in others. For many, prioritizing oneself before others serves them better than considering others’ benefits.

Deciding when to be unselfish might be based on one’s past experiences. Children who receive little care and attention from their primary caregivers tend to grow up to be self-reliant and somewhat selfish.

Pragmatism

A person can weigh the pros and cons of behaving in a certain way in certain situations. Many social instructions advise us to look out for ourselves first. A common example is: when we are receiving safety instructions on an airplane before a flight, we are told that in case of a lack of oxygen, should always wear the mask before helping others with theirs. This makes sense as one cannot save another’s life if one is dead.

To conclude, no person can be entirely selfless nor entirely selfish, instead, we all lie somewhere on the spectrum between the two and our position on the spectrum might change according to our situation. There is no black or white, only grey. It is important to look out for ourselves while also enabling ourselves to help others.

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Now if we consider human nature, we might think that no person can be entirely concerned with one’s own benefit nor entirely for that of others.