Beach Walk 404 – Selfish Nature

A message on my niece’s IM inspired me to think about the nature of selfishness.

“If I give in, what do I give up?”

That’s a challenging question for me, and for people who lean toward being “generous to a fault.” I sometimes think of how this flow works out in nature. Animals are intrinsically selfish, and yet somehow it all works out beautifully.

Hawaiian words
ʻAuʻa: selfish

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Beach Walk 74 – Celebrating Selfish

I am celebrating selfishness today.

h3. About Today’s Show

There are certain words that are so loaded with emotional charge, often unfairly and inaccurately. One of them is “selfish.” Most people’s first reaction is negative. But the airlines start every flight reminding parents to put on their mask first, in the event of a loss of cabin pressure.

From wikipedia – “Selfishness is a primary or sole concern with one’s own welfare.”

As we develop the ability to have more complex understanding of our emotional, psychological, physical, and spiritual aspects, we are also learning how to apply nuance to specific situations and to reclaim the language from its all or nothing connotations.

I could certainly cite plenty of examples from my own past where my concern for others at the expense of myself actually caused more harm than good.

So try on a selfish act or two this weekend in service of nurturing yourself, and let me know how it turns out!

Hawaiian words Both of these words came up when I entered “selfish.”
ʻauʻa: stingy
noʻo.noʻo: to think, reflect, meditate

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