Selfish Shellfishes

There is no such thing as selflessness. To be selfish is to be human. To be selfish is to live.

Animals are selfish. Lions fight each other so they can get all the hot lionesses for themselves. Trees grow higher and shade out everything below so they can get all the sunshine and leave nothing for the weaker competitors.

Through our entire course of life we make decisions. We think about ourselves when we make these decisions. Most of all ourselves first, over anyone else in the world.

You're in a cafe with your beloved little brother/sister/mother/father. You've been longing for that legendary blueberry cupcakes, and you know he/she also like them very much. But you've been craving for them all week. You decided to let him/her have it, because you love him/her more than the cupcake. You probably walked out feeling all fuzzy inside, convincing yourself you've been a selfless person today. Wrong! You let go of the cupcake for a greater prize: feeling good. You were being selfish in there just now because you wanted to give him/her that cupcake. It wasn't taken from you, you gave it away. And got what you actually wanted: feel good.

Your partner and you have been together for years now. He/she met up with you to tell that you both need to go separate ways. You didn't want to let him/her go, but agreed thinking: 'Well, if you love somebody you gotta let him/her be free and happy'. Amidst the break up depression, you felt somewhat relieved. You did a selfless deed today, and it's something most cannot perform. Not true! You gave him/her up so he/she can be happy, because that will make you  happy. In the end it did come down to your own wellbeing.

You're a manager in a multinational company, chief of at least 30 subordinates. You teach them well, hoping that one day someone would be able to take your place. Do you think you're special because you are big enough to risk your own seat for the greater good of the company? The truth is far from that. You do well because that's what you're paid to do. Sure, not many bosses do that nowadays, but that's what makes it better! When someone do take up your seat, you'll be sure to take up your boss'.

You are driving one day, and stumbled across an idiotic road hog. He swerved out of the junction onto the road inches from your car bumper. You honked a "Yo, watch out!", and he mistaken it for a hostile honk. He stopped you at the side of the road, and was already asking for a fight. You have to rush to work. You decided that despite the flaring anger in your heart, to let him win and apologized for the misunderstanding.  You're naturally an egoistic person, but this time let someone else win instead. You're happy you realized you're not that selfish after all. But you are. You merely let him win because at that moment something else is more important for you than winning that seemingly pointless argument.

You'll soon realize that every decision you make in life is a selfish one. Because although you made it to make someone else happy, the fact that you become happy when he/she is happy, you're only thinking about yourself. The only difference is when you're being selfish and thinking about yourself, do you stop to become selfish while also making someone else better off? Its in our nature to be selfish, because it is the essence of every living being's survival instincts.