“What do I get out of it?” is related to “What do I need?” Should a situation offer you something that you don’t need (or desire), are you really “receiving” something from it? How much do you personally benefit from any given interaction vs how much you put into it?
I go to work for hours a day and am tangibly compensated. A person cares for a pet and receives the intangible reward of an enjoyable companion, etc…
I’ve been called and probably accept that I am selfish because in every situation I evaluate exactly what it is I get and how I benefit first- vs the greater good to others in determining my participation. This is not to say I don’t do things for others knowing I won’t get anything in return, it means I make that evaluation and am probably more pragmatic about it than most humans…
I believe “what do I get?” is just as important as “what can I give or do?” when determining one’s actions and philosophy.
Another inevitable skewy part is the personal determination of the value of what is a greater good. thats looking at a situation and personally making a decision on the affect, outcome and impact of an action on another individual. That’s all but impossible to do as everything is subjective, but how is it possible to factor out personal subjectivity? I truly cannot see how anyone can factor out their personal desires when making any decision.
Some people are truly self-less and I don’t see that as a virtue. Having a sense of self and a sense of preservation of self should be a natural part of any life. And an individual who is upfront about his own welfare and being should not be seen as a threat or selfish. There is something to be said regarding “conservative” principles
I believe to be a healthy factor in evaluating the actions one takes in life, no matter how this type of thinking has been demonized…
It’s up to the individual to protect and be responsible for not only his own actions, but his own happiness
By definition “conservative” is probably not the term that I mean. I believe I was confusing that with something along the lines of a “personal responsibility”
Personal responsibility is the willingness to both accept the importance of standards that society establishes for individual behavior and to make strenuous personal efforts to live by those standards. uh, its probably not that either!
“Personal capital is closely related to personal responsibility, when personal responsibility is defined as a person’s “response-ability,” that is, the ability of a person to maturely respond to the various challenges and circumstances of life. Personal capital is also closely connected with character, when character is defined as a person’s moral or ethical quality, and the character of a person gives them advantages to respond to the challenges of life. Personal capital, then, is the inner resources, assets, and advantages of personal responsibility and character that one brings to the challenges and circumstances of life. When personal capital is low, a person is a victim of circumstances, at the effect of life and not able to consciously and purposefully choose his or her own thoughts, feelings and actions. Victims typically identify themselves based upon attributes of powerlessness, dependency, entitlement, apathy, worry, fear, self-doubt, and the like. The victim lives at the effect of what happens around them and has little personal capital to, in response to the challenges of life, choose and direct life’s direction and destiny.”
conservative
: believing in the value of established and traditional practices in politics and society : relating to or supporting political conservatism
Conservative: not liking or accepting changes or new ideas. NOPE! definitely NOT THAT!!
