While watching Julie and Julia (an excellent movie if you’re thinking about renting it. Nora Ephron=genius.) the other day, someone posed a question to me: Are all successful people selfish?
My immediate answer: Yes.
I think selfishness has gotten a bad wrap. Even Merriam-Webster is out to get it! Perhaps I should submit an addendum to the definition, because I believe that selfishness is an integral part of mental health.
In order to be selfless, one has to be selfish. I can’t save you from drowning if I don’t know how to swim. My cooking skills suffer when I’m dying of starvation. In order for me to help you, I must first help myself.
I know that there are plenty of acts of selfishness that hurt people and destroy lives. I just think that some acts of selfishness are necessary and good as long as they don’t harm others.
Tags: kindness, self-love, selfishness
