<p>I find that both almost everyone around me (family, college) and everyone I read about, hear about, or see on TV, with the exception of a handful of individuals I have seen over the years on TV, put their own self-interests or the interests of some group(s) they belong to in society ahead of everything and everyone else any time they make a decision that affects others. This is the case for the vast majority of everyone on the planet.</p>
<p>For those of you out there (most likely nearly everyone that reads this, since there are so few people that do not follow the self-interested decision process), my only question is Why? And what, if you can tihnk of anything, would get you to act differently? Sure, if you acted by what you thought was fair and right for ALL, it is likely to make little difference. But why ensure that no difference is made by living in a manner that actively prevents those who do try to make a positive difference from being successful?</p>
<p>I know even good-intentioned people will disagree on what is right. But what concerns me is tha there are very few good-intentioned people at all. What is the cause of this prevailing attitude even among the parts of society this attitude is most harmful to?</p>
<p>This question has been looked at over the years through several lenses:
[ul][li]Evolution: [The</a> Selfish Gene](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Selfish_Gene]The”>The Selfish Gene - Wikipedia)[/li][li]Anthropology/Psychology: [The</a> Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Science-Good-Evil-People-Gossip/dp/0805075208]The”>http://www.amazon.com/Science-Good-Evil-People-Gossip/dp/0805075208)[/li][li]Economics: [/li][quote]
How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature which interest him in the fortune of others and render their happiness necessary to him though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it…</p>
<p>…It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we can expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. —[Adam</a> Smith](<a href=“http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/bios/Smith.html]Adam”>Adam Smith - Econlib)
[/quote]
[/ul]</p>
<p>If you’re really interested in studying the human dynamics of self-interest, studying [url=<a href=“http://oyc.yale.edu/economics/game-theory/contents/sessions.html]game-theory[/url”>http://oyc.yale.edu/economics/game-theory/contents/sessions.html]game-theory[/url</a>] would be a good start.</p>
<p>It really depends what culture and country you’re from. Political ideologies play a big part as well as ideas of ‘social responsibility’. Study some Marx, read some disturbing texts by Hayek (this is a smokescreen, note the endorsement by the Ford corporation) read some Nietche about ‘equality and ideas of civilization about the top and the bottom of society’ and some Durkheim about the ‘rules of sociological method’. Read some theory on ‘Kensian economics’. The reason people are selfish/not selfish is based on what they think is morally ‘right and justified’ for all (so you’re going to have people from different countries entrenched in a particular ideology). This is a start, game theory is also good but save that for later. Have a look at the ‘Wealth of Nations’ by Adam Smith who came up with the concept that ‘greed is good’ but most conservatives/republicans hide the fact that Smith retracted a lot of what he said at the beginning towards the end of his book after seeing his theory demonstrated by the slave trade in Jaimaca. This book was the founder of capitalism: however there is some moral lessons to be had in ‘free enterprise’ there are some obvious pitfalls in being ‘selfish’.</p>