The thoroughly selfish man aims at obtaining as
much happiness as he can for himself and does not care whether other people are
happy or miserable. In order to attain this object, he tries to appropriate as
large a share as possible of the good things of this world. Whenever he has an
opportunity of doing so he enjoys himself. Even when his enjoyment is obtained
at the expense of his fellow-men
History gives many conspicuous instances of
selfishness in the case of despotic monarchs taught by their flatterers to
think that they hand nothing else to do in the world but seek the gratification
of their appetites. Thus we find among the Roman emperor men who valued their
immense power chiefly because it gave them the command of all the sensual
pleasures that the countries of the known world could supply. In modern history
Henry VIII and Charles II, distinguished themselves above all the other
monarchs of England by their absorption in their own pleasures, and their utter
disregard of the good of their subjects.
Such selfishness is not confined to kings and
emperors, but is to be found in every rank Of society. All over the world we
find the selfish taking an unfair share of everything, and trying their best to
use others as means to the attainment of their pleasure. They seem to be quite
blind to the fact that by their course of life they must infallibly sacrifice
their general happiness for the sake of a limited number of not very valuable
pleasures. It is quite possible that a selfish man may be cunning or determination
induces his friends and relations to sacrifice their interests to his. It
sometimes happens that there is in a family a notoriously selfish person, who
makes himself or herself intensely disagreeable if crossed in any way. Such
disagreeable persons often get their own desires gratified at the expense of
the more amiable members of the family, who are known to be unselfish and not
expected to resent any wrong done to them. But in the long-run they defeat
their own object, and find that by exclusive attention to their own happiness
they have deprived themselves of the highest and most permanent sources of
happiness.
Human beings are so constituted by nature that they
cannot enjoy happiness worthy of the name without being in sympathy with their
fellow-men. Therefore the best way to be happy is to make other happy. What
Shakespeare says of mercy is equally true of other forms of benevolence. Every
kind act is twice blessed, and blesses alike him that gives and him that takes.
Of the first and more important part of this double blessing the selfish man is
entirely deprived by his ruling passion. He is also in many cases deprived of
the lesser blessing of receiving kindness and assistance from his fellow-men.
As shown above, he many occasionally gain advantages from those who cannot
avoid coming into contact with him and fear to provoke his resentment. But such
advantages being conferred without goodwill. add little to his happiness, and
all, who can do so. Will be inclined to avoid his society. And will prefer to
shown kindness to others. Who being sympathetic and benevolent themselves seems
to deserve kindness in return.