Can It Be Good to Be Self-Centered?
There are 2 ways to be self-centered, so be sure your picking the right one
Normally, when someone is accused of being self-centered, we consider it a bad thing. It’s portrayed as a lack of concern for others, or a kind of greediness.
But do we have it right? Is self-centeredness a bad thing? Perhaps there’s a bit more to it than we think. Perhaps being self-centered is actually a good think. But like so many other good things, we’ve been getting it wrong for quite some time.
In fact, being self-centered is only bad if the self you’re centered around is the wrong kind of self.
A Tale of Two Selves
There are 2 kinds of selves. The first kind is the lower self. It’s the one concerned with immediate gratification, ignorant of costs and consequences, and lacking care about higher values and purpose. The second kind of self is the higher self. It’s the version of yourself that you aspire to be. It’s the self that embodies your values and lives with purpose.
If you serve your lower self, that’s the bad kind of self-centeredness. You grasp at what you think will give you quick pleasure. You think short-term and with little regard to others. Your values are questionable. That’s vicious…
