LIVE WITHOUT HARMING! ENJOY POSITIVE SELF-INTEREST AND AVOID NEGATIVE SELFISHNESS

It is useful to distinguish between healthy and harmful self-interest. With the former, we seek good things for ourselves, our loved ones, and the groups to which we belong (which are extensions of ourselves), but without harming anyone or taking away what they have earned honestly.

Toxic selfishness, on the other hand, consists of obtaining the things we desire at the expense of others—that is, by causing them suffering and harm.

We should not defend our interests, but rather our rights; when the former do not coincide with the latter, it means seeking privileges by trampling on the rights of others, as was the case with the Apartheid system in South Africa. The majority of white people in that country voted for the nationalist party to forcibly guarantee their political and economic power at the cost of exploiting Black people. This is a simple example, but abusive selfishness has been the norm rather than the exception throughout history and remains widespread practically worldwide.

Therefore, the foundation for building a better world in which we do not trample on one another is to exercise harmless self-interest while simultaneously avoiding harmful selfishness at all costs. This applies not only to our close circle of family, friends, and acquaintances, but to all sentient beings, including other ethnicities, races, or species.

Read “Let us not be racist, ethnicist, xenophobic, or ultranationalist”

LIVING WITHOUT HARMING: Let us not be unscrupulous speciesists

Since all or nearly all of us have a small corner in our brain (specifically the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) where our innate sense of justice resides—developed to a greater or lesser extent (except perhaps in extreme psychopaths)—you know that what I have just told you is correct.

Despite this, it is not easy to constructively channel that hyper-predatory and egocentric tendency we all possess, as it is deeply and naturally rooted within us. It is especially complicated when accompanied by that other uniquely human trait: falsehood. This consists of wearing masks to appear as something we are not, presenting ourselves and others with an embellished image, retouched as if by Photoshop.

When we act with petty selfishness and hypocrisy, we benefit at the expense of harming others while simultaneously doing something (such as a classic “act of charity”) or saying something (such as a typical speech on solidarity and humanitarianism) to project an image to ourselves and others that we are, in fact, altruistic.

REPAIR THE DAMAGE!: Small acts of charity do not clean up the harm we cause

Let us not be so human in this regard. Although we all carry this type of meanness in our genes, let us not be so much “ourselves” in it. Let us be true to ourselves in everything that is harmless, and especially in our innate sense of justice, being genuine with our noble side. But let us not be so authentic with our vile part. Because we can take up the chisel and, to a great extent, shape ourselves however we wish, just as Michelangelo did with his masterpieces.

HOW TO LIVE WITHOUT HARMING?: Let us remove the mask of toxic self-righteousness

Let us replace our congenital negative selfishness with an orientation toward happiness and rights for everyone, including all types of sentient beings. Let us move from “Me and the others” or “Us and Them” to “All of us,” and from “This suits me and mine, so to hell with the rest” to “Let us be considerate of everyone.”

FOR A WORLD WITHOUT HARM: Let us be considerate

If you believe that spreading this message helps create a better world to live in, with less abuse and hardship, please share it on all your social networks and with most or all of your contacts.

Thank you very much for doing so,