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Selfishness

selfishness

The quality or state of being selfish; exclusive regard to one's own interest or happiness; that supreme self-love or self-preference which leads a person to direct his purposes to the advancement of his own interest, power, or happiness, without regarding those of others. Selfishness,- a vice utterly at variance with the happiness of him who harbors it, and, as such, condemned by self-love. (Sir J. Mackintosh)

Synonym: See self-love.


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Re: Bible vs Darwin

... similar things/subjects who may not even be Catholic. I nod my head. Some may look at this as chains where it is to break the chains of flesh (selfishness, etc.) that is the focus. why? not only to become closer to God, but to better ourselves in everyday life. the worlds a simplier place with ...

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by gfrabizi
Wed Dec 03, 2008 7:01 am
 
Forum: Evolution
Topic: Bible vs Darwin
Replies: 293
Views: 30209

Cancer

... because most of the organisms you see are living off what becteria are not using :-) But also because sometimes cooperation is more efficient than selfishness.

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by canalon
Thu Aug 14, 2008 5:55 pm
 
Forum: Evolution
Topic: Cancer
Replies: 4
Views: 896

Re: Offspring Selfishness changing into Parental altruism?

... complex social behaviors (such as altruism) is no doubt also influenced by environment i.e. learning and socialization. It may very well be that “selfishness” (which is only a name for a set of behaviors that are basically natural, wanting food, wanting attention, wanting toys) is the natural ...

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by chaka8
Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:52 pm
 
Forum: Evolution
Topic: Offspring Selfishness changing into Parental altruism?
Replies: 5
Views: 1525

Re: Offspring Selfishness changing into Parental altruism?

However, If I was to generalize I would say that in infants, that are not fully developed in terms of hormones, brain structure, cognition etc, there is no grasp of altruism. Evolutionarily speaking it makes sense that infants, that are competing with siblings and have no real use for altruism woul...

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by ragav.payne
Wed Jul 30, 2008 2:56 am
 
Forum: Evolution
Topic: Offspring Selfishness changing into Parental altruism?
Replies: 5
Views: 1525

Re: Offspring Selfishness changing into Parental altruism?

These are many genes that change and even reverse their function with the age of the individual. An example is GABA which switches from being inhibitory to being excitatory with age. Regarding altruism, I think that you are oversimplifying. Altruism is a complex behavior that is no doubt modulated b...

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by chaka8
Tue Jul 29, 2008 4:47 pm
 
Forum: Evolution
Topic: Offspring Selfishness changing into Parental altruism?
Replies: 5
Views: 1525
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