In an individual, selfishness uglifies the soul; for the human species, selfishness is extinction.

People pontificate, "Suicide is selfishness." Career churchmen like Pater go a step further and call in a cowardly assault on the living. Oafs argue this specious line for varying reason: to evade fingers of blame, to impress one's audience with one's mental fiber, to vent anger, or just because one lacks the necessary suffering to sympathize. Cowardice is nothing to do with it - suicide takes considerable courage. Japanese have the right idea. No, what's selfish is to demand another to endure an intolerable existence, just to spare families, friends, and enemies a bit of soul-searching.

Your corn is ripe today; mine will be so tomorrow. 'Tis profitable for us both, that I should labour with you today, and that you should aid me tomorrow. I have no kindness for you, and know you have as little for me. I will not, therefore, take any pains upon your account; and should I labour with you upon my own account, in expectation of a return, I know I should be disappointed, and that I should in vain depend upon your gratitude. Here then I leave you to labour alone; You treat me in the same manner. The seasons change; and both of us lose our harvests for want of mutual confidence and security.

Any influence of a 'sin nature' on children is dwarfed by the imitated examples of those who have cultivated selfishness by years of practice.

There is a quality of selfishness that is associated with an individual when they are in the depths of addiction.

Phir laa jawab kargayi mujhe teri khudgarz fitrat, har taa'luk mita diya meine jab, toh in khwaabon ke zariye raabta dhoond liya tune