X-Message-Number: 30771
From: 
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 11:08:27 EDT
Subject: self interest

It's tiresome, but a few might benefit from an extremely brief  reprise.
 
The notion that motivations of group values or social interaction  negate 
self interest is just plain stupid. Of course group  values and  "ideals" are 
important to most people, but that detracts not a whit from the  perfectly 
general and ironclad rule that every motivation arises from self  interest.
 
If a yogi sits on a rock for twenty years, enduring great physical  

discomfort, has he sacrificed self interest for an ideal? Of course not. He has
just 
sacrificed one interest for another. We all have competing interests, but  

every one of them is OUR interest. It is logically and physically impossible to
be motivated by anything other than self interest.
 
Don't be confused by the fact that many thoughts and actions are not  

consciously motivated, and many are not motivated at all, but result from  
accident 
or habit and indoctrination. The fact remains that every conscious  choice is 
intended for YOUR benefit, even if it also entails some downside and  even if 
it fails of its intent.
 
Failure to understand this is one of the major psychological obstacles  to 
cryonics.  
 
Robert Ettinger



**************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with 
Tyler Florence" on AOL Food.      
(http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4&?NCID=aolfod00030000000002)


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