Are we all selfish?
Are we all selfish? What I mean to say if you find my initial question ambiguous, is, is man selfish? This question has been got me thinking for quite a while now, I don't think I can find any example where we are not selfish. Here's one example that I've thought of:
1) We want the best for our children, but is that because we want to feel that good feeling inside us when for example we buy them a gift, and they feel happy, don't we feel happy and cherish that feeling, encouraging us to carry on trying to do the best for them?
Let's make this a broader learning experience....please try to voice your opinion in Spanish, with an English translation. This way, we'll all be learning and this thread will have an element of Spanish in it!!
Thanks. 
29 Answers
I am extremely generous. Whenever I make plans, or I receive any sort of windfall, I make sure that my good fortune always includes I, Me, and Myself.
I work very hard and disinterestedly on SpanishDisct, and all I ask in return is a little bit of adoration, recognition, glory, and some nice gals to stroke my belly while I lie on the warm sun. I am sure that given the benefits of being acquainted with me, this is all very minor stuff, a very tiny return for my huge magnanimity.
Yo soy extremadamente generoso. Cada vez que hago planes, o recibo algún beneficio, me aseguro de que mi buena fortuna siempre nos incluya a yo, a mi, y a mi persona.
Trabajo de manera dura y desinteresada en SpanishDict, y todo lo que pido a cambio es un poquito de adoracion, reconocimiento, gloria, y alguna que otra chica que me acaricie la barriga mientras tomo el sol tibiecito. Estoy seguro que dado los beneficios de conocerme, todo esto son naderías, un dividendo ínfimo a cambio de mi enorme magnanimidad.
Yes we are. I think humans are both selfish and altruistic. Selfishness can be necessary for our survival. It is an innate trait in all of us. Small children will grab what they want before being taught to share. Studies have also shown that small babies exhibit empathy for others as well. Babies will cry when another baby is in distress. Our environment plays a role as to which trait we display.
"Self preservation is the first law of nature" (Samuel Butler)
How can a mother look after her children if she does not look after herself first?
It's mine!
Kindness In A Cruel World: The Evolution Of Altruism by Nigel Barber.
The premise of this book is that cooperation and caring for others is part of what allowed humans to survive. I'm of the opinion that human emotions are closely tied to what has helped us survive and evolve. We are hardwired to be connected to others, to raise our children to carry on the self. It is to our benefit as a species to feel pleasure in those behaviors. While that sounds cynical, from another point of view, I'm saying that love and caring for children, family, friends or all other human beings, is the very essence of who we are.
Hola, Seb.
I believe I understand the heart of your question.
Maybe it would be helpful to you if you examined some people you know about or that you know personally whom you consider to be totally unselfish.
For example, let's take the public persona of Mother Theresa. How much personal sacrifice did she endure? What about the level of criticism or ridicule? What about people misunderstanding her? I cannot say for certainty any answers to these questions, but they might help you as you ponder.
Closer to home, do you know any people who care for chronically ill or handicapped loved ones? How many of these caregivers get much of a break?
Or, to take your question of parents buying presents for children, I believe in that specific example it is not so much a potentially selfish act as a potential reward. Maybe this sounds strange, but when a parent sees delight and unfettered joy in the eyes of his child, the parent feels somewhat rewarded for all the moments of unacknowledged effort that he has extended for the benefit of his child. A person could argue that this is "selfish", but a contrary argument could be made.
The Bible is full of unselfish people who were empowered by the Holy Spirit to be unselfish. I would suggest that without the power of God working through us, it is pretty darn hard to be totally unselfish on a consistent basis.
My answer is awkward, I know. Once you establish an operational definition of "selfish" you might come up with a philosophical answer to a philosophical question, or a theological answer to a theological question.
I think you're being cynical.
If I run into a burning building to save an old woman, I'm not doing it to please myself. You can't prove/disprove what someone is feeling when they do something.
I imagine it depends to some degree on your perspective. For example, it would be possible to take the stance that not one single act of kindness is ever done without a person first contemplating how this act might effect himself. Taken from this viewpoint, charitable acts are not done out of love, but out of a sense of duty. That is, if one feels some sense of duty, some ingrained sense of debt to the rest of the world, to God, to the values of their parents or grandparents, etc., then any charitable act could just be taken as an attempt by that person to provide a respite from the suffocating pressure of such a debt.
On the other hand, others might argue that it is exactly this, a person's ability to share in the joy of another that proves a person to be capable of unselfishness. That is, if one's source of joy is no more than to see another person happy, it is difficult to argue that the person is thinking only of themselves.
Personally, I have slightly different thoughts on the matter. My own personal belief system focuses on the idea that we all have arisen from the same primordial source and that the animating force within each of us is one in the same force. That is that each individual does not represent a single being but an entire and vast organic whole. In short, each of us is connected by the same animating force. After having studied biology, and especially molecular biology, for the past decade or so and witnessing/documenting first hand the intricacies of living systems, I find it hard to argue against such an interconnectedness.
Aside from this perspective, I also tend to draw a lot of my ideas from my own musing on certain teachings from the Bible. In particular, I think a lot about Matthew 22 wherein the question is posed to Jesus, “Which commandment of the law is the greatest?”
Now in his time, Jesus was considered a radical amongst the Jewish community, and this question was actually meant as a snare, but being a true "radical," viz. being one able touch on the "radix" (or root) of an issue, he deftly combines two passages from the Torah: “You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, and with all your mind” (Deuteronomy 6:5). “This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18).
To my mind, every other commandment can be seen as subservient to these fundamental ends. Recognizing that the source of life, the source of love, the source of Good is in the Lord and that all living things are animated from this selfsame spark provides an understanding for these commandments. It is right that each nascent spark should pay homage to the roaring fire that gave birthed it. Moreover, each of us is filled with and shines with a light that is only a part of a greater light. In this sense, each light contributes to the overall whole, and seeing another shine brighter does not diminish our own light but only enhances our glow. We are all connected. We are all one. Anything we do for another only enhances our own light. In this sense, it is only possible to be selfish.
If my words seem clumsy, I am sorry. I don't know that I have the eloquence to express these ideas adequately in words.
Here are my ideas:
If your thread gets lots of answers, then we are not all selfish, or SD members are not all selfish.
If you get few or no replies, then either we are all selfish, or SD members think this thread is not helping anyone learn Spanish.
Éstos son mis ideas:
Si el hilo recibe muchas respuestas, entonces no todos somos egoístas, o miembros de la SD no son egoístas.
Si recibe ninguna respuesta, entonces todos somos egoístas, o miembros de la SD creo que este hilo no esté ayudando a nadie aprender español.
I think much of what might be termed altruism can be seen, when analysed, to be born of egotism.
Think of your question in another way: Is it statistically likely that no human being has ever performed an act that has cost him, for the gain of another. I'd think that highly improbable, just by sheer weight of numbers.
I'd warrant that those such as the various Dalai Lamas, the Buddha and generally solid people like Ghandi act and acted with true selflessness. If you look at various 'spiritual' practices that preach the freeing of one's self from the ego, you might imagine selfless acts to be possible.
Anecdotally, whilst far from 'enlightened' 
I have got out of my car to remove debris from roads that were slowing traffic, picked up fallen bicycles blocking pavements and whilst I can't dig deep enough into my psyche to know the true motive I certainly did not feel smug nor better for having done it, nor banged on about such deeds to mates. To me they were acts that cost me a few moments of my time with the result of saving others time and hassle - one could argue that these were not selfish acts...
Creo que no es justo que nos pidieras que contestáramos en español, que lo hayas escrito todo en inglés, Seb.
Un acto altruista es, el altruismo.
An unselfish act is ,altruism.
Pero ¿cómo se puede ser verdaderamente altruistas?
But how can one be truly altruistic?
The answer to that question is almost impossible to judge .
And that is the great problem,the fact that we are continually
sitting in judgement on not only all other sentient beings but
on our selves. Simply accept what we and others do for each other
in the spirit of good heart , and leave it at that . If you judge ,
then you have set a standard , we do not have the right
to impose our standards on others , neither should we expect
perfection in ourselves or others . If you halve your expectations
then you are immediately 50% happier ,so chill out and have a happy life.
Do what you can for those who need your help, and accept that other people
are doing their best also, if they are not, then that is their Kama
not ours .
We usually help out on questions if you first post your own answer. 
Maybe you'll find the answer in the SD dictionary 
Por lo general, ayudar en las preguntas si primero escribir tu propia respuesta.
Tal vez encontrará la respuesta en la SD diccionario.
Delete - I thought you said shellfish. 
As with most of the important questions in life I find satisfying answers can be found in the Bible
So to answer this question, are we all selfish?
Inherently? Yes. Rom 5:12
Do we have to always act that way? No. It is possible to put on a new personality Eph 4:24.
How do we know if we're being unselfish? Check our motive. 1 Cor 13:5 - love does not seek it's own interests.
Interestingly enough the Bible notes that selfishness and associated traits would become more prevalent as time goes on and would become so noticeable that it was given as a sign of living in what the Bible calls 'the last days'. 2 Tim 3:1-5
Con la mayoría de las preguntas importantes en la vida creo que respuestas satisfactorias se puede encontrar en la Biblia.
Entonces para responder a esta pregunta, ¿Estamos todos egoístas?
Inherentemente? Sí. Romanos 5:12
Necesitamos actuar siempre de esa manera? No. Es posible que se ponga una nueva personalidad Ef 4:24.
¿Cómo sabemos si estamos siendo egoísta? Compruebe nuestro motivo. 1 Corintios 13:05 - El amor no busca que los intereses propios.
Es interesante que la Biblia señala que el egoísmo y los rasgos asociados pasarán a ser más frecuentes a medida que pasa el tiempo y llegaría a ser tan notable que fue dada como un signo que estamos viviendo en lo que la Biblia llama "los últimos días". 2 Timoteo 3:1-5
- Para ser un buen padre, se debe mantener la propia fuerza con el fin de cuidar a los hijos.)
- Para ser un buen padre, se debe ser un ejemplo de benevolencia y consideración por los intereses de los demás.
Estas cosas no son contrarios. Existen en un continuo ininterrumpido de conducta humana. Los dos existen en cada individuo para la mayoría. Cada uno de nosotros decide dónde estamos en el continuo. Esta decisión se hace con el conocimiento de la ética personal y la lección del segundo mandamiento. Se parece simple pero no es simplista
- A good parent will take care of himself in order to take the best care of his children. This requires some degree of selfishness.
- A good parent will exemplify the virtue of charity (love) for his fellow man to be a good example to his children. This requires some degree of selflessness.
These two things are not contradictory. Both exist along a continuum. Each of us must decide where he falls on this continuum using personal ethics and the teaching of the second commandment. It may seem simple but is not at all simplistic.
In English: yes.
En español: sí.
