Well, wouldn’t it be convenient if we all hid behind one book that provided us with the universal excuse that we are all selfish bastards and thus can do whatever we want? If it was that easy to proclaim as Skilling, former CEO of Enron, that selfishness cannot be helped due to genes, there would be no more true need for parenting, socializing, being part of an institution, obeying laws and much more. We would just be sitting around, waiting like hyenas for our next prey to apply our awesome selfishness on and further our genes. Cowardice to the highest level, that is what Skilling and the culture of Enron represented. When attempting to account for his actions and the way he conditioned the culture in Enron, he stated that his favorite book the “Selfish Gene” informed his approach. Wait, I thought Harvard graduates could read…because if that’s the case, how did he miss pages over pages of information where the book itself stated that while we are born selfish, we can be taught to be altruistic; and rebel against those genes and not let them control our bodies, lives, and actions. Of course he would use just a limited portion to make his case. Selective selfishness much? Maybe Mr. Skilling could not read too well because his eyes were already in the shape of dollar signs. If that is the case, I apologize. We will respectfully call that the Ignoratium Greed disability and leave it at that.
One of Jane Austin’s famous characters is known for alleging that, “Selfishness must always be forgiven…because there is no hope of a cure” (95). That seems to align with the “Selfish Gene” book and dear Mr. Skilling’s defense, right? Things are not by far that pessimistic or simple though. The book clearly states for instance that genes are i...
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...similar feelings, situations, and burdens. We understood that being there for one another is the way to go for the most part. Why else would one have parents, teachers to guide us, institutions who nurture such things in us, and legal systems who punish us otherwise? We may be born selfish, but we have the beautiful potential of being kind and selfless. We just have to unlock that power inside of us and not become puppets of genes as Skilling did. He used the theory in the book in order to fuel his travesty, and in the process mentally corrupted the Enron culture and employees and left countless victims behind, without a care in the world. Money made him and broke him. Instead of ‘I am Enron’, he should’ve said ‘I am Selfish Gene’. Or an A-Hole. Either works. We don’t even need to ‘ask why, ask why” as the Enron commercial. It’s painfully obvious…
The idea that a person can be purely good and altruistic does not exist due to society’s acceptance and embrace of the selfishness and greed of human beings. People these days are some of the most selfish beings to ever exist but they are not ashamed of their actions because of how the world around them welcomes their self-centered nature with open arms. Selfishness comes is many ways, shapes, and forms. Many businesses need to utilize the greed of mankind in order to make money and prosper; “Greed-for lack of a better word-is good. Greed is right. Greed works” (Wall Street). Even politicians use their greed to run campaigns for themselves in order to win the hearts of Americans. As well as fulfill their ultimate selfish goal to be the man
Is human nature inherently selfless or selfish? Although a seemingly simple concept, the aforementioned question has long been a profoundly controversial topic. While many claim that humans are intrinsically compassionate and inclined to help those in need, others argue that people instinctively prioritize their own individual security over other people’s welfares. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s literary works, “Young Goodman Brown” and The Scarlett Letter, as well as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s renowned novel, The Great Gatsby, all reference the idea that people impulsively pursue perfection, as determined by their community’s values. While different communities establish different standards for perfection, society as whole romanticizes the idea of perfection and subsequently people strive to create the illusion of a perfect life. How an individual represents the values idealized by a given community determines his/her reputation in that community. Although people may appear to wholesomely follow the values idolized by their community, in reality, human nature is inherently flawed, making it impossible for people to achieve perfection.
It is often said that money is the root of all evil. The Robber Barons of the late 19th century proved this theory without fail. They showed that greed can overtake morals if the conditions are right. It
Henry Ward Beecher once stated Selfishness at the expense of others' happiness is demonism. This theory addresses that a part of the human condition is becoming
If a person had to choose between their life and someone else’s, they’d choose to be the ones to live. Selfishness is a terrible thing that can cause families to fight, it can cause wars, or the death of someone to spare one’s own life. Night by Elie Wiesel, shows many examples of selfishness. Sons leave their fathers to save their own lives, reluctantly feed their dying father and even kill just for a piece of bread. Humans are inherently selfish, it’s a personality trait that doesn’t care about relatives or lovers or anyone else.
It is my view that in the story Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales that it demonstrates that in order to survive is to be selfish. One piece of
Have you ever stopped and wondered what causes society to be selfish and not help others when they are in need? Throughout the life existence of humans we have always tried to figure out the inner workings of the brain and what causes us human beings to behave or do the things we do, but to this day it still remains a mystery. During the last few centuries, however, great steps have been made in understanding why we behave and think the way we do. Lauren Slater, a psychologist and author, is widely recognized for her book “Opening Skinner’s Box,” in which she describes in detail some of the greatest and most influential psychological experiments of the twentieth century. All of the experiments mentioned in this empowering book discuss the relationship
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room shows us how basic human nature does not change, whether it's in the easy fall into killing as a means to resolve disputes, or in the incessant human obsession to acquire for acquisition's sake. This all makes for terrible human actions.
Rothman, Lily.”So, Does The Wolf Of Wall Street Glorify Greed Or Not?.” Time.Com (2014):1.Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
In the world today, altruism is associated with the “common good” of man while egotism is associated with evil and non-consideration of the fellow man. In contrast to the world’s view, Ayn Rand provides and proves a new definition for egotism through her book, The Fountainhead. She defines egotism in the context of ethics. She states: “Man-every man-is an end in himself, not a means to the ends of others; he must live for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself; he must work for his rational self-interest, with the achievement of his own happiness as the highest moral purpose of his life.” Howard Roark, the protagonist in the book is a selfish and egoistical man whose actions reflect his own conviction. On the other hand is Elsworth M. Toohey, a humanitarian, whose goal is to see others suffer so that in providing help, he might be seen as virtuous (680). These men serve as foils for each other. The idea behind Howard Roark is illustrated by Ayn Rand in her philosophy called “Objectivism” and the idea behind Ellsworth Toohey is the “second-hand.” The book wields together the concepts of selfishness, selflessness, and heroism.
In the “Gospel of wealth”, Andrew Carnegie argues that it is the duty of the wealthy entrepreneur who has amassed a great fortune during their lifetime, to give back to those less fortunate. Greed and selfishness may force some readers to see these arguments as preposterous; however, greed is a key ingredient in successful competition. It forces competitors to perform at a higher level than their peers in hopes of obtaining more money and individual wealth. A capitalist society that allows this wealth to accumulate in the hands of the few might be beneficial to the human race because it could promote competition between companies; it might ensure health care for everyone no matter their social standing, and parks and recreation could be built for the enjoyment of society.
...s blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes" (Dawkins vii). By calling human beings "survival machines" and "robots," Dawkins implies that we are not in control for our own actions. Again, his metaphors takes the reader away from his scientific reasoning and make them think of a distinct individual that is pulling the strings of evolution for its own good. This statement also conjures up moral implications that suggest that we are not in control of our lives and there is no point for our own existence. The point Dawkins wants to make is that metaphorically genes do possess a selfish ability. However, Dawkins' metaphors make it difficult to remove the selfish gene theory from its moral implications.
...lection of this gene in our ancestors has allowed small kin-related groups to flourish into a modern and ever growing altruistic society. However, one distinctive problem with altruism has arisen. Whichever way you look at it, altruism stems from selfishness. [11] The presence of altruistic genes in humans today resulted from the selfish notion of gene inheritance. After all, genes are selfish and a person is simply the gene’s method of survival. [12] Reciprocal altruism, primitive passive sympathy and altruistic behaviour through social norms are acts which largely benefit the individual and can hardly be seen as a selfless act. In conclusion, altruism should not be defined as an act carried out by an individual in order to benefit another individual rather, it should be defined as an act carried out by an individual, regardless of motive to benefit another. [13]
Bergeson, E. (1997) The Ethics of Gene Therapy [Online] Available at: http://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~mcclean/plsc431/students/bergeson.htm [Accessed 14 July 2011]
Greed is so powerful in a person that it has the ability to destroy them, their friends, and family relationships. I have lived in the poorest country my first nine years, so when I was adopted, my mom gave me everything I ever wanted, everything I ever needed. However, using myself as an example, I was so mesmerized of the materialistic things that were available, that I stole. I took something that was not mine because I felt greedy. I felt like I needed that object for whatever reason. My mom tore my butt when I got home and I never thought of steeling because of my own selfish need of wanting. Not to mention how greed made me afraid. It made me afraid because I knew what I did was wrong. People are constantly being bombarded with images of things that we believe will make us happy and the selfish thoughts of greed makes us wanting more. For example, the iPhone 6 Plus came out September of 2015, now there is iPhone 7 which has new camera zoom, ear pods, and better quality. However, the week before it was released, everyone talked about wanting it because it’s the new “cool” thing. However, what people fail to understand is that the reason they want