Dr. Martin Hash Podcast

It would be strategic to assume that the vast majority of what we see, hear, and experience is distorted by our own selfishness, or the selfishness of others. Our selfishness manifests itself in all aspects of our lives; even decisions supposedly made for altruistic reasons usually have a modicum of selfishness at their core. Selfishness is the foundation of many sins: greed, the focus on obtaining more for yourself; covetousness, lusting after what other's have for yourself; gluttony, personal consumption beyond all practical purpose; and avarice, an excessive desire for possessions for yourself.

Humans are born selfish since everyone is the center of the universe from their perspective, and without societal conditioning, people would remain selfish. It's obvious why selfishness is important to both personal and evolutionary success, but also obvious why tempering selfishness for the needs of the group is important to a society. Because both goals are required, striking the balance between the selfish individual who acts for their own interests, and being a cog within a fraternity of equals, is the fundamental basis of the two major competing political ideologies: Liberty versus Marxism.