Poll: Is it good to be selfish?

[SlasherX]

So I've made a new choice in my life, I've decided to be an asshole as much as possible. This revelation came after my Dad being a kind person let someone stay at his house and they then got him arrested. Another thing more confirmed this when a friend of mine gave a man a ride to his house was then mugged and had his tires stolen so I've decided to be an utter asshole and not give anyone anything. I realize this is probably a bad strategy but it has worked out well for the past month so escapist is it better to look out for numero uno or try to at least give some?


P.S. It's not like I'm not giving gifts for christmas and I still donate to St. Judes.

P.S.S. Just got him taken into custody no charges since he didn't do anything.

 

[Texas America Murphy]

All things considered, you should probably be less of an asshole. Your dad got arrested because he broke the law, not as some sort of punishment for being charitable. If your family history is any indication, you're not very good at being an asshole.

 

[Paksenarrion]

You can't just be an asshole. Without motivation, you'll just half-ass it. A half-asshole. And you know that you can't really have half of a hole. (Half of a whole, yes. Half of a hole, no.) A hole is a hole is a hole.

What you need to be is paranoid. Paranoid that everyone asking for your help is waiting to prey on your kindness. Remember this: Kindness is Weakness. Now, I know that you know that we know that this is not true. However, this is what the Enemy believes. So, what you have to do is carry bludgeoning weapon with you at all times. A maglight will do. It's inconspicuous.

The next time you're tempted to do a good deed, check to make sure you have your maglight handy. You've had some bad experiences, so this is a good start to distrusting shady characters. You will learn to tell apart shady characters. Remember this, and take this to heart:

Peace is a Lie, there is only Passion.
Through Passion, I gain Strength.
Through Strength, I gain Power.
Through Power, I gain Victory.
With Victory, my Chains are Broken.
Brute Force shall Free Me.

 

[Disaster Button]

All things considered, you should probably be less of an asshole. Your dad got arrested because he broke the law, not as some sort of punishment for being charitable. If your family history is any indication, you're not very good at being an asshole.

A sleep-over is breaking the law?

OT: Just sounds like you had a bad experience. Obviously you shouldn't be a dormat but being an asshole to everyone will just turn you into those people that mugged your friend and had your Dad arrested which will make their peers assholes which will make others assholes and that's a lot of asshole people.

 

[Shivarage]

Don't lower yourself, that's how assholes gain moral superiority over you so they win...

 

[Erana]

You take care of your needs first typically. From there, you can either be a jerk or a good person. Its like how you're supposed to put your oxygen mask before you assist the minor.

 

[TWRule]

Well, for starters, there is a difference between being selfish and being an asshole - just ask Ayn Rand.

Anyway, be considerate toward others without denying yourself the same respects you pay them and you should be good (I voted for a "mix").

The fact that you even care to ask this question means you are considerate of others on some level. However, remember that there is also a difference between acting upon naive good intentions and acting responsibly upon ethics.

 

[FalloutJack]

So I've made a new choice in my life, I've decided to be an asshole as much as possible.

No no no, this will never do. Asshole is something you take in moderation. Too much of it will make you a dick, and doing it wrong will make you a prick. Be an asshole on the right occasion, be alright in others. Find your perfect medium to carry a happy life. I, myself, have found quite a many good uses for being an asshole in the right place. Making idiots pay, forcing a lax system to get to work, tearing people apart when they cross me at the wrong moment... But it's also fair to say that I have achieved much also while being courteous, polite, and definitely wordy instead of fisty. Words of wisdom to live by: Play to win, but play for fun. Never get cross for the wrong reasons.

 

[Jonluw]

Well, naturally things will go better for you if you only look out for yourself. However, other people might begin to think less of you, so it all depends on how much you value the company of your friends.

 

[Asuka Soryu]

You can't just be an asshole. Without motivation, you'll just half-ass it. A half-asshole. And you know that you can't really have half of a hole. (Half of a whole, yes. Half of a hole, no.) A hole is a hole is a hole.

What you need to be is paranoid. Paranoid that everyone asking for your help is waiting to prey on your kindness. Remember this: Kindness is Weakness. Now, I know that you know that we know that this is not true. However, this is what the Enemy believes. So, what you have to do is carry bludgeoning weapon with you at all times. A maglight will do. It's inconspicuous.

The next time you're tempted to do a good deed, check to make sure you have your maglight handy. You've had some bad experiences, so this is a good start to distrusting shady characters. You will learn to tell apart shady characters. Remember this, and take this to heart:

Peace is a Lie, there is only Passion.
Through Passion, I gain Strength.
Through Strength, I gain Power.
Through Power, I gain Victory.
With Victory, my Chains are Broken.
Brute Force shall Free Me.

Good, good. Let the hate flow into you.

Join the Dark Side.

 

[Lyx]

All generic biases are logically invalid, so if it were about logic, the answer can always only be "no generic bias, depends on situation". I kinda agree with that.

I without enough thinking voted both, but then after writing this post noticed, that i shouldn't have voted at all, because all three options are logically false.

As for your examples: Blindly trusting foreigners is bound to be a stupid idea. So this doesn't have too much to do with selfishness/altruism, but more with understanding trust. You let a person stay for the night whom you cannot estimate yet? Well, then you better go by the mantra "trust is good, control is better". With this, i do not mean to be paranoid. Rather, make sure that there isn't an easy possibility for them to easily betray you. Just adjust the situation to how much you trust/mistrust someone. If that isn't possible, *then* say "no".

 

[Chocomint]

Just be more cautious about people. No need to be an asshole all the time.

 

[CouchCommando]

wow talk about letting the assholes win...
Anyhow! personally I volunteer a fair bit of my free time in local community groups, Volunteer Marine Rescue, State Emergency Service and the local branch of the Bushfire Brigade, gotta say I've gotten nothing but good experiences from all and would recommend volunteering to anyone with a bit of spare time on their hands and a hankering to meet other like minded people who like to make a small difference in your local community.
And been selfish deliberately is kinda childish but every one needs some ME time at least once in a while.

 

[Numb1lp]

You can still be a good person, just don't do stupid things like giving rides to strangers.

 

[Hosker]

Being selfish is good for you, but not for those around you. So mix of both.

Also: assholes don't realised they're assholes. They don't make a concious decision to be one; they just are.

Just don't trust strangers! Ever!

 

[gh0ti]

I work for social services and we run a Womens' Self-Esteem Group. Most of the women who attend have been taken advantage of by boyfriends, husbands, sometimes other family members - even their own children. The key strategy they talk about for avoiding this is Assertiveness.

You shouldn't sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of doing a "good" deed - at least, not all the time. There is nothing wrong with "keeping score" - we all do it, consciously or sub-consciously. We need to keep track of those people in our lives who are constantly looking to us to sort out their problems and lend a hand.

When it comes down to strangers, it's more simple. Don't do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. For example, if someone stops you on the street and asks for directions, give them. If they want you to accompany them, say No. You have your own things to attend to. You don't have to be rude when declining to help.

Ultimately, it boils down to common sense and being strong enough in yourself to recognise when helping someone really needs your help and when someone is taking advantage. Sure, it's not foolproof, and occasionally you'll get played. But I think that's a much more productive method of conducting oneself than actively behaving like an a***hole.