Why Looking Out For Yourself Is A Noble Act
Self-sacrifice is not a virtue
Over the years, I’ve taken a lot of flak, especially from friends and family, for always saying I look out for myself first before I look out for anybody else.
When I say “looking out for myself,” I mean the conscious effort to make rational decisions that lead to the greatest amount of happiness for me in the long run, as long as the actions resulting from those decisions do not involve the use of force or fraud against anyone else.
Long-term thinking is an important part of “looking out for myself,” because short-term pleasure can be self-destructive if not balanced against long-term effects. For example, if a guy commits armed robbery, the fruits of his crime may provide him with short-term pleasure. However, the long-term consequences—the stress of being incarcerated—are certain to cause him anguish that outweighs his short-term rewards. It goes without saying that merely thinking about the short term is not a sensible approach to living one’s life.
Everyone, whether deliberately or unknowingly, attempts to make judgments that result in more pleasure and less pain, yet such decisions are not always reasonable. To make reasonable decisions, you must be aware of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.