Is it wrong to be self-centered?

@rufio,

rufio wrote:

Obviously, we are all self-centered whether we want to be or not, unless you're one of the non-dualist "philosophers" on here.

I'm very much self=centered and also a non-dualist philosopher. I am the universe.

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@dyslexia,

There you go, Dys. I knew you'd get there eventually.

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I see the author of this thread is still missing. I miss her, and that silly avatar she used to have.

1 Reply

@JLNobody,

Quote:

But if you ask ME capitalism, with its hyperemphasis on ECONOMIC values, steers people away from ways of being that conflict, or are irrelevant to, materialistic and class-based values. Capitalism does not encourage us to be poets or spiritually mature.

I disagree with you so profoundly on so many things, JL...I just love the chance to agree with you with all my heart on this. Thank you for saying it so nicely.

And I suspect we both have a much, much different opinion of what "a reasonably regulated Capitalistic system" is...than what most American conservatives consider it to be. We here in America do not have anywhere near close to a reasonably regulated form of Capitalism.

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@dyslexia,

dyslexia wrote:

rufio wrote:

Obviously, we are all self-centered whether we want to be or not, unless you're one of the non-dualist "philosophers" on here.

I'm very much self=centered and also a non-dualist philosopher. I am the universe.

That is a very metaphysically advanced assertion, Dys.

What has moven u to that belief ???

David

1 Reply

@roger,

roger wrote:

I see the author of this thread is still missing.
I miss her, and that silly avatar she used to have.

Well, posters come n go n move around.
I just got back from around a week in Florida
( to celebrate Valentine 's Day; I got an early start ).

David

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@Frank Apisa,

Frank,
You've made my day.

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@Frank Apisa,

Frank Apisa wrote:

Quote:
But if you ask ME capitalism, with its hyperemphasis on ECONOMIC values, steers people away from ways of being that conflict, or are irrelevant to, materialistic and class-based values. Capitalism does not encourage us to be poets or spiritually mature.

I disagree with you so profoundly on so many things, JL...I just love the chance to agree with you with all my heart on this. Thank you for saying it so nicely.

And I suspect we both have a much, much different opinion of what "a reasonably regulated Capitalistic system" is...than what most American conservatives consider it to be. We here in America do not have anywhere near close to a reasonably regulated form of Capitalism.

Capitalism exists in an ideological environment
of laissez faire FREEDOM that includes those choices
among myriads of others.

Does either of u NEED to be ENCOURAGED to become a poet,
or to be spiritually mature ?

I don t mean to brag,
but I have enuf courage to write a poem
( tho not much talent, nor inclination toward it ).

David

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@OmSigDAVID,

OmSigDAVID wrote:

dyslexia wrote:

rufio wrote:

Obviously, we are all self-centered whether we want to be or not, unless you're one of the non-dualist "philosophers" on here.

I'm very much self=centered and also a non-dualist philosopher. I am the universe.

That is a very metaphysically advanced assertion, Dys.

What has moven u to that belief ???

David

my position remains a polar opposite of metaphysical. I am not larger than the universe.

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look, i can't help it if the universe revolves around me

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@djjd62,

Are you god or a merry-go-round?

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Btw, closely related to this topic, is this discussion (post created by me) :

http://able2know.org/topic/129648-1

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Dyslexia says that his "position remains a polar opposite of metaphysical. I am not larger than the universe."
I see Dys as the exact same size as the universe.

This is intended in the same spirit as the answer given by the 100 year Japanese zen master, Kyosan Sasaki Joshu, to the question of the age of the Buddha: He said that he and the Buddha are the same age.

1 Reply

@JLNobody,

yes, of course, I am finite as well as unbounded.

1 Reply

@dyslexia,

dyslexia wrote:

yes, of course, I am finite as well as unbounded.

Is that a contradiction in terms ?

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

Yes, it IS a contradiction, but that does not make it untrue.

1 Reply

@JLNobody,

JLN, Is a buddhist monk self-centered?

1 Reply

@cicerone imposter,

C.I., she probably is most of the time, but she's supposed to at least try to be aware of its illusory nature.

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@Individual,

Well, I think selflessness could be argues as actually another form of being self-centered. For example, when someone does charity, they will frequently say "I get a good feeling inside." Well, if we didn't get a good feeling inside, would we still do nice things? Wouldn't that mean that we actually help people because it makes us feel better about ourselves, as a sort of way of validating our existence (ie. I helped someone, and if I wasn't born, that person wouldn't have been helped, and thus I did something useful to the world.) Validating one's existence, to me, is a selfish act.

Also, there is the another argument to make: If being selfish a part of human nature, then, wouldn't fighting that be going against nature, which would be bad. Of course, that all depends of the perception on whether or not nature is something to fight, or to to follow.

Sorry for merely presenting questions, and no answers.

1 Reply

@Scaramouche2,

Scaramouche, I agree. We do good because it makes us feel good. I like to think that virtue is its own reward (just as evil is its own punishment: imagine being in Hitler's mind).
But I would like to qualify our agreement by noting that while people do both good and bad in the service of their selves, it is much more desireable to serve ourselves by benefitting rather than injuring others. Do you agree?

1 Reply

Is it wrong to be self-centered?

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