The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-08-21
A Short Essay on Selfshness.

phhr
ENCE.
If it is true-and 1 think / have good reasons
for believing that 1t is true-that "seli-prese'-
walton is the first law of nature, - then 1t newt
ably follows that seliishness Is the ruling char-
acteristic of mans nature, because seliishness
is the most essential quality necessary for self
preservation. Therefore, for this and for other
reasons which l will endeavor TO give, it is my
conviction that man Is, ut all times and under All
conceivable circumstances, selfish. That te
qualification of this particular passion Is MS CON
Stan, desire from the time he enters into the
world till he makes his exit; that Tor this he
| plans, and tolls, and suffers, and in many in
stances even risks his life.
This declaration is very broad, and no doubt
| will strike the ears of many good pcOple as being
| not only horrible, but so entirely Wild as not TO
merit any consideration. Well, let us, if We
| can, lay aside for a short time the natural preJu-
| dices we have in favor OF ourselves, and calmly
and honestly examine into the matter a little,
\ and see what the result Will be-
There is a common and much applauded saying
that Honesty Is the best policy l believe
everybody, whether saint or sinner, not only
admits that this is true, but points to 1t as an
excellent rule for the government OF four conduct;
Ii we solve the true meaning of IL, We will find
that il is the very essence of seltishness. For, II
We are honest because it is the best policy, then
we are honest for the sole reason, and no other,
than because We think it will result to our ad-
vantage to be so-in modern parlancc, because
we think it will pay. The man who leads an
honest life for policy's sake, although without
question the better man of the community, is
not an iota less selfish than he who leads Il dis
honest lite, for both are aiming ut the same OBJ
iect, namely, the enhancement OF their individ-
ual interests. But, as honesty Is the best policy,
the former has chosen the wiser course, and Will
therefore be the more successful in the g~ratiiica-
tlon Of his desire than the latter.
$50 unto others Is you would wish them to do
unto YOU, - is very cOmmcDdable. IL is, in all
probability, as near 10 equity MS anything We
are capable OF conceiving. 1t is deseryingly
called The Golden Rule. ltmight also with pro-
prietv be called ''evcn-handed Justice But,
meritoriOus as 1t is, 1t is nevertheless strongly
tinctured with seltishness. The value OF the
maxim is so tar beyond the comprehension of the
unthinking many, that II is 10 them "A dead let
ter. II is impossible for them to see that a com
pliance with 1t can be productive OF any benefit
to themselves. Those only who have arrived ut
a higher stage of perfection dirnly see any merit
in IT; and when perchance such live in accord
ance with (which is, however, very seldom
the case-they do SO for the qualification OF self.
They live in accordance with II mainly Tor the
purpose of cOunteracting or modifying any evil
intentions which others might 0therwiseh have to-
ward them; for the purpose of keeping even, nj
least; in short, forthe purpose Of preventing any
obstacle being thrown in the way To impede
their progress toward the objective point, name
": the procuring of comfort, or happiness, or
some other gain-in fine, the qualification OF
their selfish prOpensities-
Ii, as it happens sometimes, we minister to
the wants of the needy or distressed, we AFRO
gate TO ourselves an amount of credit that Is at
once ludicrous and pitiiul. On such occasions
We generally suffer our vanity TO pun us up into
enormous proportions. We Halter ourselves that
We have done something grandi-sOmething no.
biei-something neutrality-suspicious. en-
tirely free from anything ike self-lntCTcSt.
What shailsw-pated simpletons we are, when n
little inquiry into the matter would dlspei this
Illusion! Can we do anything without u cause2
Is it possible for us to act without 2 motive?
Common sense answers emphaiically, mol Then
if this is 80, what motives prompt us 20 acts of
charity, of philanthropy, and the like? Are our
motives disinterested? However toolishly We
may fiatter ourselves into any such belief, the
truth is 10 the contrary. The real and true rca-
son why We do acts of charity, and relieve dis
tress, &c, is To get the applause Of the commit
nifty; or, if We are of u finer nature, in order that
our own feelings may get relief. In either case
the object is the same; the desire of beneitlng
ourselves being the first consideration and the
relief of the other party the second; and were IL
not that our natures are 80 constituted that IN
order to benefit ourselves We are obliged 10 ben
eif the party in need OF our assistance, the
amount OF interest We had in sand party could
not be discovered by the most acute and intent
| observer.
A mother, no doubt, is honest in believing thai
the love she has for her babe, and the watchiul
and tender care she bestows on II, are alike fire.
from anything approaching selfshness, and sh,
would feel that great wrong Were done her If told
that the opposite was the truth. But IL is, new
erihelcss, So. The great love she has for hcl
babe arises principally from the certain kDpwl.
edge uf the tact that il is her own offspring,
coupled with the pretty hrinly hAcd idea tina
III IL she herself l. prfpctuIted; anu the reason
she hestow, 50 much care upon IL Is DccaUsC her
nature requires II Tor the qualification u her owl
beings, and THIS qualification "i her own feel
ings Is Tor her own special benefit, and being tui
her own special benefit. II must be SellshneSs
All of u, are, in II greater or lesser degree
sympathetic. This Is an excellent trait in Oul
characters. sympathy Is praiscworlhy in hui
who gives 1t. and generally acceptable TO hl1
who receives il. II might, with pruprirty, b,
| aa1l,al fb. pnltgn chain winch yunlsp"fN all tnt
members of the human family, and Irequentl!
connects man with TIA" lower animals. And We
this same sympiihy-this qiinitssti &c oil reinct
iceling>-llkc our other CHARACTERISTICS, can no
be CLEARED from the charge of scin>hncsS. IL l.
contrary to our natures To give >yinpathy withou
Il recpmpense, and therefore We give play TO Ii
for the minor reason that 1t Is cOnSpling 10 tn,
other party, but for The principal reason thai i
relieves our own feelings. For, whenever an
other peroou has touched orr = InpAthy, W. i'm
mrdi.i.ly become connected. as il Were. by AZ
invisible cord, which draws Us with such ire
menious force that II We make resistance uui
yery htart-StrinEs, m some Instances, seem II
danger OF being pulled ]asUndui; and, therefore,
If not actually tor eii-pTrsrrNatiun, al least iul
the purposc of procuring relief ir, IA this painful
feeling, We are forced TO move tow ard the pcrsoI
win whom We are, FOR the time being, thus in
vI-iDly COnu"ctcd.
II further evidence were needed TO prove IN,
fact that the inling characicrI-i c vi mans ui
ture was sellishness, il could readily he furnished
in such abundance "a would HI volumes without
limit. II would comparatively I've an easy tISE
10 show that our loves and our hates, our desire
and our aversions, our virtues and Our vices, Oul
PRAYERS and our Cur5es-yea, even our mliurrlN
fol med religious convictions, and our hope ant
expectation Of happiness IN Il future life are,
most Enthusiastically, all prompted by this one
single and powerful motive oi scliiohnes5. But,
let the foregoing suffice.
Ii will be observed that in these remarks
have not been finding fault with seliishnessi
and, in conclusion, would say that | have no OBJ
lection TO it, except where ii exists in 10" grea
n degree. NY object has merely been 10 show ~
some erroneous ideas that are prevalent IN rcgart
to what is called disintercstetness or unseliish'
ness. On the contrary, ! am forced Ia believe
that sclishness is right, BECAUSE II Is natural,
and because in the economy Of nature no mis-
takes occur, but all Is harmony and perfection
We know that eating, drinking, &c, are t0tall,
selfish qualities, but We also know that they arr
absolutely necessary for our selfprcscrvatIon al
existence. Therefore, if is right that we SHOULD