--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being selfish isn’t choosing yourself…" description: "\"“Being selfish isn’t choosing yourself over other people. Being selfish\" is expecting other people to choose you over themselves.”\" — Cody Edward Lee M..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c47/cody-edward-lee-miller-1361_selfish_being-selfish-isn-t-choosing-yourself-ov_425958.jpg" --- # Being selfish isn’t choosing yourself over other people… ![“Being selfish isn’t choosing yourself over other people. Being selfish" is expecting other people to choose you over themselves.” quote by Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c47/cody-edward-lee-miller-1361_selfish_being-selfish-isn-t-choosing-yourself-ov_425958.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c47/cody-edward-lee-miller-1361_selfish_being-selfish-isn-t-choosing-yourself-ov_425958.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c47/cody-edward-lee-miller-1361_selfish_being-selfish-isn-t-choosing-yourself-ov_425958.jpg) > ““Being selfish isn’t choosing yourself over other people. Being selfish" is expecting other people to choose you over themselves.”” [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Selfishness is reframed as expecting others to prioritize you, not merely preferring yourself over them. **In simple terms:** Selfishness means expecting others to choose you. Key Takeaway Recognize how expectations shape relationships. Themes relationships expectations self‑interest Mood reflective critical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - team projects - family decisions - friendship boundaries Key Concepts psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Do you expect others to prioritize you? - How does this expectation affect your relationships? A Different Perspective Expecting others to choose you can strain trust and reciprocity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-selfish/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) ## Related quotes > [“Sometimes healing is choosing yourself every day, even when your heart still misses what hurt it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lina-bloom/sometimes-healing-is-choosing-yourself-every-day-even-when-your-heart/) Lina Bloom > [My intentions aren't bad, but I gotta realize being selfish isn't worth breaking a good girls heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-intentions-aren-t-bad-but-i-gotta-realize-being-selfish-isn-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“But selfish isn't necessarily a bad thing. It only means you take care of yourself and you have to do that to be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tera-lynn-childs/but-selfish-isn-t-necessarily-a-bad-thing-it-only-means-you-take-care/) [Tera Lynn Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tera-lynn-childs/) > [Selfish isn't a dirty word. It means we take care of ourselves and are able to give back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-michaels/selfish-isn-t-a-dirty-word-it-means-we-take-care-of-ourselves-and-are/) [Jillian Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-michaels/) > [Childlessness doesn't make people selfish; selfishness makes people selfish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/childlessness-doesn-t-make-people-selfish-selfishness-makes-people/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Think of the many, many stories about God choosing people. There are Moses, Abraham, and Sarah; there are David, Jeremiah, Gideon, Samuel, Jonah, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/think-of-the-many-many-stories-about-god-choosing-people-there-are/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [Live long enough and you'll disappoint everyone. People think you're able to help them and usually you can't. And so it becomes a process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/live-long-enough-and-you-ll-disappoint-everyone-people-think-you-re/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“We need to use both reason and emotion in our choosing of people. We get into danger when we ignore our reason, when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/we-need-to-use-both-reason-and-emotion-in-our-choosing-of-people-we/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [Bergman was courageous in choosing people to do things that they themselves might not expect to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-von-sydow/bergman-was-courageous-in-choosing-people-to-do-things-that-they/) [Max von Sydow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-von-sydow/) > [“Maybe we need to stop choosing people purely by résumés and rationales that have led us headfirst into disappointment. We need instead to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-d-jakes-2/maybe-we-need-to-stop-choosing-people-purely-by-r-sum-s-and/) [T.D. Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-d-jakes-2/) > [“We chose younger and younger politicians to lead us because they looked good on television and were sharp. But really we should be looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-chose-younger-and-younger-politicians-to-lead-us-because-they/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“But there was no use. There was no point. It was just a story. It was just a story of people, of Ralph and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-goolrick/but-there-was-no-use-there-was-no-point-it-was-just-a-story-it-was/) [Robert Goolrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-goolrick/) > [“Anything that binds people together into dense networks of trust makes people less selfish. In”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/anything-that-binds-people-together-into-dense-networks-of-trust/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [ I think ultimately, people are selfish in that department \[blues\], in a good way - the reason we're attracted to art is because it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-hansard/i-think-ultimately-people-are-selfish-in-that-department-blues-in-a/) [Glen Hansard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-hansard/) > [So many relationships fail because so many people are so selfish. Its an ALL ABOUT ME mindset. Show ME attention or else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/so-many-relationships-fail-because-so-many-people-are-so-selfish-its/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) ## More by Cody Edward Lee Miller > [“(‘T) is all that separates I CAN’T from I CAN. Cut away the bullshit and live your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/t-is-all-that-separates-i-can-t-from-i-can-cut-away-the-bullshit-and/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [“What makes the stars special is that they shine even after the rest of the world goes dark.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/what-makes-the-stars-special-is-that-they-shine-even-after-the-rest/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [“In the oppressive future artists will be the last rebels, Muses will be their deity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/in-the-oppressive-future-artists-will-be-the-last-rebels-muses-will/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [“We're tragic actors in a world of comedy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/we-re-tragic-actors-in-a-world-of-comedy/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [“It’s better to have a light heart and a dark mind than for the opposite to be true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/it-s-better-to-have-a-light-heart-and-a-dark-mind-than-for-the/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [“Greatness is for those who work for it, Mediocrity is for those who accept it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/greatness-is-for-those-who-work-for-it-mediocrity-is-for-those-who/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [“Faith, hope and love should be balloons lifting you up, not anchors weighing you down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/faith-hope-and-love-should-be-balloons-lifting-you-up-not-anchors/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [“The muse of memories past inspires smiles on many a sad faces, tears on many a dry cheek, and warmth of love inside so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/the-muse-of-memories-past-inspires-smiles-on-many-a-sad-faces-tears/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [“With every whispered beat of his heart, he could hear her name echo in his chest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/with-every-whispered-beat-of-his-heart-he-could-hear-her-name-echo-in/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [“Sometimes the pounding of your heart when it’s in love awakens all the sleeping monster and emotions in you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/sometimes-the-pounding-of-your-heart-when-it-s-in-love-awakens-all/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [“You define your existence, not the other way around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/you-define-your-existence-not-the-other-way-around/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [“We swallow coal, and choke on diamonds, that's the hell inside us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/we-swallow-coal-and-choke-on-diamonds-that-s-the-hell-inside-us/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [“Our existence is shaped by our action not our thoughts. Our perceptions are shaped by thoughts not action.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/our-existence-is-shaped-by-our-action-not-our-thoughts-our/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [“Self-destruction can be cathartic in the worst ways possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/self-destruction-can-be-cathartic-in-the-worst-ways-possible/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [“Helping the caterpillar can sometimes kill the butterfly. You can’t fight their darkness for them, but you can make sure they don't face it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/helping-the-caterpillar-can-sometimes-kill-the-butterfly-you-can-t/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) [Explore all 250 Cody Edward Lee Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) ## More Selfish quotes > [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/) Maureen Andeson > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [I don't try to be something I'm not, I don't try to pretend that I'm something I'm not, I don't try to present myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-capuano/i-don-t-try-to-be-something-i-m-not-i-don-t-try-to-pretend-that-i-m/) [Michael Capuano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-capuano/) > [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/) [Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/) > [So often do you see collegians enter life with high resolve and lofty purpose and then watch them shrink and shrink to sordid, selfish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/so-often-do-you-see-collegians-enter-life-with-high-resolve-and-lofty/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [I don't surround myself with a lower quality of human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-don-t-surround-myself-with-a-lower-quality-of-human/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [Our thoughts are either focused on what's eternal, life-changing, and true, or lost in the details of our temporary, selfish, false beliefs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/our-thoughts-are-either-focused-on-what-s-eternal-life-changing-and/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [It amazes me how selfish some people are and how rude people can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-amazes-me-how-selfish-some-people-are-and-how-rude-people-can-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“They say we all die alone, but I say we die together as one, with every selfish act, piece by piece, smack by smack...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-erlandson/they-say-we-all-die-alone-but-i-say-we-die-together-as-one-with-every/) [Eric Erlandson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-erlandson/) > [Selfish people make me sick to my stomach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/selfish-people-make-me-sick-to-my-stomach/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A love to Christ which is so cowardly and selfish that it is unwilling to proclaim by a public confession its faith in Him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbott-eliot-kittredge/a-love-to-christ-which-is-so-cowardly-and-selfish-that-it-is/) [Abbott Eliot Kittredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbott-eliot-kittredge/) > [I'm not a selfish guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romelu-lukaku/i-m-not-a-selfish-guy/) [Romelu Lukaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romelu-lukaku/) > [There is no man at once so unselfish and selfish as a man in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bailey-aldrich/there-is-no-man-at-once-so-unselfish-and-selfish-as-a-man-in-love/) [Thomas Bailey Aldrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bailey-aldrich/) > [I will no longer surround myself around selfish people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-will-no-longer-surround-myself-around-selfish-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 2,822 Selfish quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Being selfish isn’t choosing yourself over other people. 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