Why it Pays to be Selfish (Essay Sample)

Why it pays to be Selfish
Despite the universal negative perception of selfishness as a human trait, it actually pays to be selfish. On average, selfish people are psychologically and emotionally healthier than selfless ones, and are able to avoid exploitative relationships. Thus, being selfish can enhance personal growth and lead to a happier life.
Selfishness improves psychological wellbeing as it motivates one to focus on personal wellbeing. Kaufman &Jauk (2020) compared the emotional states of selfish and selfless individuals, and found that the former reported higher levels of emotional wellbeing. In contrast, excessively generous people reported frustration with life because they helped others expecting to be repaid in some way but were disappointed when their acts of generosity were not rewarded (Kaufman &Jauk, 2020).This is proof that people should learn to be selfish to enable them achieve emotional wellbeing and consequently, enjoy a happier life.
Selfishness is desirable because it helps to avoid different forms of exploitation.Excessively selfless people are susceptible to emotional manipulation by others, suggesting that being selfish helps to avoid this situation (Johnson, 2015). When a person is too generous, others can take advantage of it by making endless demands for assistance (Johnson, 2015). This scenario illustrates exploitation whereby people take advantage of another’s generosity. An obvious lesson from this situation is that one needs to possess a healthy dose of selfishness to avoid exploitation from manipulative people.
Last but not least, selfishness can change a person’s life by enhancing personal growth and the pursuit of happiness. Crocker et al. (2017) analysed the experiences of social workers and caregivers who spent most of their time tending to the sick and the elderly, and found that such people suffered from depression and mental burnout due to the strain of their work (Crocker et al., 2017). This scenario illustrates the negative effect of unrestrained selflessness because it denies people the opportunity to enjoy life and pursue personal interests. Therefore, it