Is everything a human Does, Selfish?

Question:Consider this theory: A human can do nothing that isn't Selfish.
Try it against anything, Why do we eat-We want to live
Why do we give to charity-We feel better afterwards, or we care about the charity and want to make a difference.
Everything we do is to benifit ourselfs or make ourselfs feel better, What do you think?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Consider this theory: A human can do nothing that isn't Selfish.
Try it against anything, Why do we eat-We want to live
Why do we give to charity-We feel better afterwards, or we care about the charity and want to make a difference.
Everything we do is to benifit ourselfs or make ourselfs feel better, What do you think?

Yes, I agree. The logic is unassailable. However, the word "selfish" connotes greed or disregard for others. I'd look for a word that doesn't have such a negative connotation. Cause, as you point out, there is a big difference in the self-serving behavior of purse snatching and the self-serving behavior of volunteering to teach adults to read.

Suicide?

obviously you don't have children.

Yes, by nature, humans are selfish. Our first priority is to preserve ourselves.

i think you need to look at it in a different way.... we eat because we HAVE to eat. people give to charity because they have a kind heart, not for their own benefits. when your in love with someone, you do things for that person just because you love them. i think you should try looking at it from a different point of view

Why do we love? we want to be loved back.......
but that's not selfish!!!!!!

Your idea of selfishness means every living thing including plants and animals are selfish (why do they eat, grow, etc..... they want to live and survive) that's not selfishness as you put it, that's living. or else what would be the point, we should just lay down and die.

hahah i never thought about that it is truee!

Yea I know that theory. Like every time we do something good it makes us feel better for ourselves as well. Like we do it for ourselves. People say "I enjoy helping others!:)". So that would mean they do it because it brings THEM joy.

Yet I don't think it's "selfish". The mere fact that I'm helping someone, trying to make my self better or not, means someone else is positively affected by it.

Funny thing, now I'm 'helping' by answering you this question. I could be just doing it for the 2 (or 10) points! Or I would like that many people read it and I become more popular? Who knows :) But I'm not just helping myself and that's what matters.

Only the Lord loved us unconditionally when He gave his own Son to die for our sins.

And did not expect anything from us.

As per my pov, at an average 90% of things everyone does are selfish

If you want to truly not be selfish you must question all your motives, but that's a pain in the ***. I mean, to take all that time out of YOUR schedule! How unfair it would be for YOU!

Yeah, we tend to like... always seek positive stimuli. It's the natural thing for us to do, so we just go ahead and do it.

But there are people out there who deny themselves. Not like those guys who whip themselves on their backs. They do it to punish their own sins to make them feel better about themselves. PPL like Jesus and Ghandi, I think that the majority of their lives were spent seeking the good of others.

Yes you are right. We are essentially intelligent animals, and do animals think of anyone but themselves? Sure we are much more intelligent than an ape, for example, but our intelligence does not stand a chance against primal instinct.

"Everything we do is selfish" is a redundant statement. Because we think of a person's doing something as an event caused by that person's will. Will is desire, want... if your will is done, that means you get what you want. So by the definition of willful action, we cannot act without it being "selfish," for ourselves, in a sense.

I think the question just needs to be rephrased. Like, we could ask if there are ever things people do solely for the pleasure of giving and for no other reason.

It is true.
So stop getting worried and enjoy the show.