[Gary Wassner]

Can't it be both? How do you take the selfish out of the self?

[Joe Bloggs]

Can't it be both? How do you take the selfish out of the self?

Shave you head, wear orange robes and run around Tottenham Court Road banging a gong with a bunch of mates dressed the same.

Or as above only replace "run around Tottenham Court Road banging a gong witha bunch of mates dressed the same", with "live in a cave eating nothing but brown rice, to find true oneness and selflessness"

Should only take about 20 years. :o

[Gary Wassner]

Isn't that the ultimate expression of selfishness?

[Joe Bloggs]

Isn't that the ultimate expression of selfishness?

I think the ultimate expression of selfishness is what you see lottery winners do with their winnings, i.e. squandering the flipping lot on cars, boats, planes, houses, swimming pools, home theatre systems, diamond jewellry etc.

To deprive yourself of all worldy goods, comforts technology etc?
I wouldn't think of that as selfish, but then it's different for each person I suppose.

[Gary Wassner]

I am not making a value judgment here. I am trying to remove the negative connotations from the word selfish. If someone is giving away all of his worldly goods and retreating in order to find himself, and if that is what he really really wants to do, and that is what will ultimately make him happy, then how much more selfish could the act be? Do you understand what I am getting at here? The action is irrelevant.

[Joe Bloggs]

If someone is giving away all of his worldly goods and retreating in order to find himself, and if that is what he really really wants to do, and that is what will ultimately make him happy, then how much more selfish could the act be? Do you understand what I am getting at here? The action is irrelevant.

Okay maybe doing it "to find himself" was a cliche I couldn't resist throwing in, but if we remove all the distraction of modern life, what are we left with?

Maybe the ultimate truth is that regardless if we are someone like Brad Pitt or Steven Spielberg in the centre of their own universes, or some bald guy in a cave eating rice, the world won't stop spinning when we die.
Which one is more fruitless or selfish?

[Gary Wassner]

The world won't stop spinning for any of us. But if it could, and if the decision was mine to make, would it be guilt for all the harm I would cause or virtue that motivates me to keep it spinning?

[Joe Bloggs]

The world won't stop spinning for any of us. But if it could, and if the decision was mine to make, would it be guilt for all the harm I would cause or virtue that motivates me to keep it spinning?

*Sit's in comfy chair. Crosses leg in casual slightly effete manner and offers Mr Wassner the couch.*

As to what motivates you personally, I couldn't say, but as you are of a philosophical persuasion, the paradox of choices may cause a quandary of inaction from a lack of a truly decisive process.
For after you are gone who or what will replace you to ensure the world still spins if that is your decision?
Or opposingly if you cause the world to stop, how do you know it will remain so?