How To Be Selfish

I know that being selfish is a trait that is generally frowned upon. I understand this and the reasoning behind it; I have personally dealt with a number of selfish people. It normally isn’t very pleasant. I don’t think being selfish is the problem though, I think it is the ways in which you choose to be that says a lot about you. It’s good to be selfish. I think everyone should be, however, I think everyone needs to be selfish the right way. There is a difference between being selfish in order to make yourself the priority, and in a way that offends the people around you. They really are different, I swear! Speaking to any young adults that may be reading this, this is our time. If there is any time in your life that you should be overly self-concerned, it is now. That’s not to say that you should be blowing people off, or ignoring the feelings of others because it doesn’t fit your schedule. That is the bad selfish. Right now though, you need to be good to yourself. You need to do what is best for you, what will benefit you. Do things that make you happy, if you want to be a little reckless or take more risks, this time in your life is when you should be doing it. You can be good to yourself and still be good to those around you. And that recklessness I mentioned before, that’s not in the “this could ruin my life forever” way. Take chances where you can afford to. It seems to me that in my age group there are two types of people: the selfish and the selfless. There is normally one of each in any given friendship. The selfish (bad selfish, of course) are completely self-absorbed, non-empathetic, and harsh. Meanwhile, the selfless bend over backwards for their cold counter-part, receiving (and expecting) nothing in return. These are the type of people that truly just wish the best for everyone, and are also the type to get walked all over. There needs to be a happy medium, and I say this because I see extreme cases of both types within my own personality. There needs to be that balance of doing well for yourself on your terms, while still being empathetic to those around you. When is it okay to put yourself first? Where exactly is that line, that when crossed, turns you into the bad guy? Seeing that this is the start of my roaring twenties, it seems like the perfect time to figure that out. Cheers.