Selfish

This is kinda of turning into an Emma response blog

I'm also really talented at typing my philosophies in cogent ways so this will be great.

So, I personally find myself thinking about the episode of Friends, "The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS." Joey makes the point that there is no such thing as a selfless good deed. Phoebe tries to prove him wrong, but isn't able to do it. Basically, the point is that you can't do something nice for someone else without getting some satisfaction out of it for yourself. It's funny as ever, but I think it's a apt philosophical point.

I believe that there is no such thing as a selfless action. I believe every action a person makes is in someway self-gratifying. The motivation may not be selfish, but in someway it will benefit yourself.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about this and the thing that really strikes me is how one can perceive absolutely everything as selfish and be absolutely correct. In fact, I can look at opposite actions and see them both as selfish. The most basic example I can come up with:

If I eat, I am eating food that other people could use to nourish themselves.

If I don't eat and starve, I no longer can be productive in society and others will have to attend to me while I die and in the handling of my corpse.

There is no middle ground there. I can't not be selfish either way.

I really think the value of the line between selfless and selfish is pretty much nothing. How I really judge things is by their motivation. It really isn't that one is being charitable, but why he or she is being charitable to me. Being charitable is selfish either way, if you really thing about, but is one doing it for the acclaim and glory, or for the happiness of helping those less fortunate and seeing their lives improved.

I really think whatever you do or want, the judge of it's morality should be the motivation of it. I really think guilt of 'the self' is really built into western culture. Doing anything to benefit oneself in anyway is frowned upon and I don't think that's the right way. My self is as important as any other selfs out there and I'm allowed to want and do.

Thanks for reading

-Michael

Quick and Hard: Michael's Enamored Tuesday

Yea, I haven't posted in quite a while. No excuses. I just didn't have any real desire or motivation to post. My job isn't exciting and I can't talk about in detail. Maybe I could do a post about Minecraft. I'm nearly finished with my biggest project yet, but meh... that's for another time, if ever.

So, yesterday was a particularly awesome day. A few friends and I went to the U.S. World Cup Qualifier against Jamaica. We were planning on leaving from at about 11;00, but someone was the entirety of 'The Price is Right' late. We ended up getting to Crew Stadium around 12:30. Grilling, drinking, sneaky public and such commenced.

The game didn't kick 'til 8:00 for a bit of perspective. Tailgating all day is pretty damn balla. Plus, I used a vacation day, so it wasn't a total loss financially.

The game was fucking amazing. Pretty much the entire stadium was cheering and Jamaica supporters were few and far between. Last year in Philly, the stadium was basically all Mexico supporter, so it was nice to be in a stadium full of U.S. supporters. 

Okay, on to what the title implies. I fell in love with two strangers yesterday. In fact, two strangers that I didn't even speak.Very shallow, or to put it more kindly, very ancient Greek* of me. This isn't uncommon for me,  but two in one day is special.

Anyway, I very briefly say girl #1 at Target. I ran into Target to pick up rations. I had filled up my cart with snacks and booze and was headed to check out. I always look around. I cannot do things that require much focus in public, because I am way too much of people watcher. Anyway, at the near end of an aisle aroudn the Pharmacy, I spotted this girl. She had blonde hair and glasses and was wearing a longish red skirt and red wedges.

I'm was immediately all aflutter(shy), but I know my social obligations well enough to not stop and stare with my mouth open.  That's all really, but she may have scored higher than anyone on the "First Sight' Test.

I was checked out by a chatty old lady cashier who commented on my booze and snacks. Damn right, I'm having a party and you can't come home with me.

Hours and drink later, in comes girl #2. She was standing behind me in the stands. Brunette, U.S. soccer shirt, jeans. Also, importantly a wedding ring on her left hand. So, aside from the fact that I'm constantly too nervous to approach any strange woman, she wasn't eligible. She was cute, nice to the people around her, cheered loudly, and was wearing a U.S. soccer shirt, so I was still infatuated.

This blog hasn't been so exciting since Hipster Girl xD

tl;dr: If I ever have a girlfriend, I will be dumped for my wandering eye.

Thanks for reading

-Michael 


*Outer beauty= Inner Beauty. Think Odyssey