[ Self-centeredness didn't develop in the US because of immigration or cultural diversity, if so, we would have had a long history of it. It came as a result of our capitalist culture, which is responsible for all forms of entertainment that appeals to our baser impulses. ..............Sometimes a helping hand will reach across barriers of race, language, culture, etc., without expectations of acknowledgement or reward. DB
Freedom, prosperity, and the highest overall standard of living the world has ever known also came as a result of our capitalist culture for those who work for it. Although I love the daily dose of soci@lism, I can't help but notice the substitution of 'self-centered' for 'self-reliance'. We on this forum strive to be self sufficient and prepared. Soci@lists, on the other hand, love to shower the unprepared and unproductive with other peoples money so they can maintain power or calm their inner guilt.
There seems to be a misunderstanding. Self-reliance and self-centeredness are two different things. One does not imply the other. A self-centered person is not necessarily self-reliant. A self-reliant person can be quite charitable. In fact, how can one be charitable without being self-reliant first? Self-reliance should not be mistaken for the paranoid, selfish mentality of "every man for himself" and "all against all" that you sometimes see on prep forums. It is with this thought in mind that I wrote my post.
Capitalism is an economic system, and it is responsible for many things in our society today, both good and bad. The self-centered individuals, many of whom do not rely on themselves, are one of the bad outcomes.
I don't know why a discussion about soci@lism is relevant. It seems political, but I am interested in personal ethics, not politics. At the end of the day, it is my individual virtue that matters and what I have done to act right.
Previous Topic
Index
