Do you belive that individual self-interest is the actual motive of all conscious action?
Question:
Answer:
Yes. When we consciously act we are self- seeking/serving to the extent that we want a specific result for ourselves. Whether we act purely in a selfish manner for what we really want or act in a sacrificial manner for the appearance of charity or even the appearance of indifference, the choice of conscious action is driven by our own true character and how we feel about ourselves presently and how we believe we will feel after acting. Our self- seeking/serving lets us know that we will be pleased by the result based on our intention to either feel satisfaction simply for doing the right thing or for what we ourselves might personally gain by the action. If we feel guilty and deserving of punishment at the core of our character, we may even consciously act in such a way as to bring condemnation on ourselves in order to feel the satisfaction of "getting what we deserve." It is still in our own self-interest.
yes, I guess that is why i do the right thing
However i would like to believe that this is not true
one can argue that since it is the individual who takes the decision the core motive is individual self interst , BUT
in extreme conditions like unprecedented catastrophy, it is the
UNCONSCIOUS act that mostly reflect self interst, in that sort of
a situation conscious acts may be completely opposite to
INDIVIDUAL SELF INTEREST. I experienced this on the day
of the tsunami, though unconsciously lots of people acted in
self interest some people took risks you would never take consciously for the sake of others.These
are not IMPULSE like acts i am talking about.
I think in such an extreme situation the feeling of INDIVIDUALITY
is lost for sometime. it really doesnt matter anymore ! you feel.
Friend of mine also mentioned that in deep meditation too you
experience this "detached from self" feeling. This persists after
the meditation sessions too, sometimes for days. In that situation all your decisions are based on facts and need.
Maybe we humans too have too modes of operation - (group and individual -)., just like slime mold who stick to gether to form
a super organism in difficult times, in abundant times they behave as individuals.
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