Stop Thinking Of Yourself

Most problems in the world come from selfishness. Genocide, poverty, environmental destruction and war all result from it. The problems that face the United States are also a result of it. Money is not the root of all evil, it is in fact selfishness. Thievery, murder, slavery and a slew of other unjust actions all come from a person valuing their own wants more than others' needs. Hitler would not have invaded Poland if he was not selfish. The Civil War would not have been fought if slave owners had thought of their slaves' needs instead of their wants. The 2008 economic disaster would not have occurred if the bank executives had thought about the borrowers' and investors' needs instead of themselves.

People should not give away all their possessions, money, and food. They should keep what is necessary to live a happy life, and should strive to possess more things which will make life more enjoyable, however, this should not be done at the expense of others.

Most people would say that Wall St. employees make a good living, but still they want more. There is nothing wrong with this, unless the money they are making is coming directly out of the taxpayers' pocket. Congressmen should not be making decisions which will simply get them re-elected. This is a very selfish act because the majority of the decisions which need to be made by our congressmen are not ones that would get them re-elected.

Obviously not everyone works on Wall St. or Capitol Hill, but the country still needs everyone to be less selfish. A stance on a issue is the first step to turning this country around, but before a decision is made, it must be determined if the issue at hand is a want or a need. Is electronic money wanted, or can it be done without by using a type of currency that stores more value? Is a military that is six times bigger than any other country's a want or a need. Is it wanted to let someone else solve the country's problems, or does responsibility need to be taken by everyone?

Sometimes the things which are needed are not the most enjoyable. Thinking is not fun, but it benefits everyone. So instead of being selfish and not wanting to think, spare some time for the rest of the country and do it once in a while. Really think about how the system works, do some homework about your candidates, or decide if a federal law is just or unjust on a philosophical basis. If everyone does this the country will be well on its way toward a better way of life.

Plato explains in The Republic that happiness is only obtainable by being just, and being just cannot happen if a person is selfish. So put others before your wants, but after your needs.