I have nothing to do with others, I am only concerned with…
““I have nothing to do with others, I am only concerned with myself. I take advantage of the fact that the majority of mankind are led by certain rewards to do things which directly or indirectly tend to my convenience.’ ‘It seems to me an awfully selfish way of looking at things,’ said Philip. ‘But are you under the impression that men ever do anything except for selfish reasons?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘It is impossible that they should. You will find as you grow older that the first thing needful to make the world a tolerable place to live in is to recognise the inevitable selfishness of humanity. You demand unselfishness from others, which is a preposterous claim that they should sacrifice their desires to yours. Why should they? When you are reconciled to the fact that each is for himself in the world you will ask less from your fellows. They will not disappoint you, and you will look upon them more charitably. Men seek but one thing in life—their pleasure.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Humans act primarily out of self‑interest; expecting others to be selfless is unrealistic.
In simple terms: People are selfish; don’t expect selflessness.
Key Takeaway
Accept selfish nature, lower expectations.
Themes
selfishness
realism
human nature
Mood
cynical
reflective
Type
philosophical
observational
When to use this quote
- personal relationships
- workplace
- politics
- community projects
Key Concepts
psychology
ethical relativism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does recognizing selfishness change your expectations?
- Can you balance self‑interest with compassion?
A Different Perspective
Assumes all actions are selfish, ignoring altruism.