THE FUSE

Is selfishness ever a virtue? We live in a culture that worships selflessness and despises selfishness. Most of us are taught from a very early age that it is bad or sinful to be selfish. Selfishness is denounced by parents, teachers, friends, etc., and children are frequently punished by scolding, shaming, berating, humiliating, criticizing, and, in some cases, even beating them. Religion, culture, and modern psychology have contributed to this exceedingly negative attitude toward the expression of selfishness, whether in children, adolescents, or adults.