two ears, one mouth: Journal Post #3

askmrwood:

egoism: the habit of valuing everything only in reference to one’s personal interest; selfishness

• Most humans seem to fit the theory of egoism (see above). Is this wrong? Why or why not?
• Give several examples of what we’ve studied this year of how egoism has brought good into the world and…

I think most humans would fit the theory of egoism because I think that all humans are selfish. Not naturally selfish, nor were they born selfish; they just grow to be selfish in time. They are only selfish because they usually feel that they deserve to have things they want, and not have to sacrifice the things they love just for another. But I don’t think all humans are selfish; I think that they know their own limits. I believe that it is the way they are raised that causes humans to be the way they are. But some won’t be able to control themselves and will go to extreme measures for their own selfish reasons. I think humans are selfish when no one is stopping them, or when they are allowed to continue to act for selfish reasons. For example, in the Russian Revolution, V.I. Lenin was allowed to overthrow the czar for what may be selfish reasons, and no one had the power to stop them; therefore, he was able to continue with his deeds and rebel. Just like how Mao Zedong was allowed to continue to turn China into a communist country without anyone being able to suppress him, he was able to turn his dream into a reality. However, I think the quote “each person must live their life as a model for others” simply means that you wish to be a person that someone else would want to be. A person who wants to be a role model would be someone who knows his/her limits of their selfishness and knows how to control it. They wish to influence others to live towards a better life. I also think the quote implies that everyone must take on the responsibility they have to teach the children and the innocent that they must understand reality and be able to guide them through the harsh times. I think that people need guidance in some point of their lives, or else they might end up going the wrong path and make the wrong choices. I think that the quote goes well with egoism vs. altruism because egoism comes from a person’s desires, but it is also a person’s desire to care for others, regardless of their own situation. It is the person that decides whether they want to be a role model for others, or if they want to follow their own personal desires. It’s important for each person to live their life as a role model because as I have said before, I think that everyone needs some kind of guidance in their life. I don’t think a person actually has a solid idea on what their moral values should be, or what they should do, or what they should say. I think that as children grow up, they learn from their surroundings, and how they are as they grow is affected by how they were raised. Children need guidance the most since they don’t know anything and they have no awareness towards anything; therefore, that is why they need role models to look up to. If there were no role models, there would be less and less tolerant people in the world and more selfish people. I do believe each person live their life as a model for others because without role models, no one would have any idea what their moral values should be. They wouldn’t know where to go, what they should do, how they should do things; they would be very lost. Role models can influence one to do many things, whether bad or good. It’s all just based on choice.