Wallace’s speech inspired me to think about why people do the things they do and what compels us to act. I came up with a theory similar to his, but with a slight twist. I agree that we are all selfish people, but I do not believe we can turn our selfish “switch” off.
Everybody has had that thought.
Am I important?
Do I matter?
Does someone care about me?
Although the words are different, the meaning is the same. We want to believe that amongst the millions of people, we are special. And yet, the true irony of it all is that we desperately and selfishly want to be important to someone else—not to benefit them, but to please our own needs.
Humans naturally seek out a way to be the one who is needed by everyone else. It creates the sensation that we “are the absolute centre of the universe” (Wallace 2). In multiple ways, we seek for this attention; pleasing others through imitation, demonstrating strength over the weak, and even pretending personalities to impress. We do this to play the role that society has placed on us. Whether it’s to be successful or happy, we desperately go about pleasing others and needing their approval, searching for our selfish relief to hear that we have succeeded the task.
The girl who copies the magazines to be popular is also the girl who others want to be, thinking she is the “real” deal. The student who chooses the successful career his parents’ want him to pick is searching for their acceptance. These are just two examples of people living to please others and to gain their approval. And those who chose to go against their parents or society, even they are seeking for attention in another form in order to gain the feeling that they are special. To play a successful role in this world means to truly do everything you can to be at the center of the world—that is how society teaches us.
As a whole, the image of the human race is a society built on selfish needs. We demonstrate our skills and our strengths in order to be considered a success, which is why I disagree with Wallace’s “switch” theory. Humans naturally live for self-absorbed reasons, and it is impossible to break from such a lifestyle because it is in our nature. Yes, we can observe and learn other point of views, but it is a matter of choice. We chose to learn new things, but only if it benefits us. Wallace even said it himself when he wrote “It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience” (Wallace 3). If we decide to change, it is because we have allowed ourselves to do so. No one has control over our actions, which is why it is very easy to believe that we are at the center of the world and are of the upmost importance.
However, I am not saying that we shouldn’t do charity or help others or live better lives, but we should be realistic about the situation. Being selfish is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when we feel compelled to help others in order to make ourselves feel good. In some ways, that instinct that looks out for us can help others as well. But as a whole, we act for ourselves, because each individual mind is set on doing what is best for itself. That is what we call survival or natural instinct. That is why we have people acting the way they do on Jersey Shore while there are other people donating blood. Our choices determine how meaningful our lives will be, and it is literally up to us; whether we chose to please others or rebel against them, we search for the attention that will confirm our own beliefs that the world revolves around us. In the end, it's every individual for himself or herself, and that's the beauty of it really.
Think about it.
How we chose to live our lives is in our selfish hands to decide, and no one else can tell us otherwise.
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If anyone disagrees or has something to add, please feel free to comment. I want to know what everyone else thought of Wallace's speech, which I did enjoy even if it doesn't sound like it. I believe he had some points.
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