An act of selflessness is the highest expression of selfishness and unconditional love because it considers the soul first.
Selfishness does not preclude consideration of others, but selfishness is necessary before consideration of others is acted upon.
Few people really understand the true meaning of selfishness. We were born selfish and even before birth we came to this earth for selfish reasons.
All of us act from selfishness because we consider what is in our own best interest first at some level of consciousness and then do a thing even if it goes against the desires of others or what we believe our spiritual purpose is. There is most always a contradiction between spirit and ego. Consideration is something that has been taught to us by our parents and other authority figures from birth. We are taught to be considerate of others first mostly because others see it in their own best interests to have us consider them first. We are told we are selfish or are acting selfishly when we do not comply.
In the very strictest meaning of selfishness we are all perfectly selfish and it can not be any other way. If one considers that he/she is the only one there is, there would be no one else to consider and in truth there is no one else because there is only one soul. We are all alone in this world and are creating all the circumstances and people in our life that we experience. Because we are part of the whole we are interacting with ourselves and it is therefore perfectly logical to be selfish.
Consideration comes as a natural result of interaction with others; but still we consider at some level the advantages of considering others first and are therefore doing it for selfish reasons.
Until one can accept this aspect of higher awareness then one has to live with the idea that there may be two kinds of selfishness and that is rational selfishness and irrational selfishness or good selfishness and bad selfishness.
Rational selfishness does not preclude consideration for another. A decision is made for self without taking away anything from another, while irrational selfishness considers the self first at the expense of another. These two ideas are early steps towards being completely selfish and true to spirit.
In order to return to the one that is perfect the one that created us, we must be as pure as that one; therefore we must always consider ourselves first. It is the natural order of things that we always move towards betterment and perfection.
As humanity learns to deal with and evaluate circumstances that are less than our true selves, we move towards perfection. As we move towards that end, we begin to consider all aspects of ourselves and we include the welfare of others because they are really a continuance of ourselves. Still being selfish for our own purposes we begin to consider and include others because we see it in our own best interest to do so, knowing that it brings us closer to uniting with perfection.
As one becomes more enlightened one also becomes more selfish (rationally) and one knows intuitively when they are being irrationally selfish and they easily move away from it.
It is therefore selfish to consider what others expect from you. If it is your desire to consciously move towards enlightenment, then most often you will not do what others want you to do because it is not in your best interest considering what you know yourself to be and where you want to go, unless it is your wish to experience moving away from self. If enlightenment is the ultimate conscious goal of your ego then selfishness will get you there.
In a world of unenlightened people those that are closer to enlightenment will most always be considered selfish. Some will be ridiculed, alienated or killed. No one wants to be left behind and they will try to stop you at any cost. This is a demonstration of the opposite of unconditional love. Selfishness does not mean that you are better than another, it simply means that you know what you want and where you are going and you will get there by considering the wishes of others, but not necessarily granting them.
One can not attain enlightenment by trying to please others only and you must follow your own path selfishly in the best way that you know how. In the course of doing so, if you find yourself being irrationally selfish you will simply know that you have wondered off your chosen path and you will make corrections.
It is incorrect to believe that someone does not have a selfish bone in his/her body; it simply means the opposite, this one knows exactly what they want and how they are going to get it, they understand the importance of the consideration of others and it is working for them. This person would never consider themselves selfish nor would others and it is simply a matter of semantics and awareness.
Life is not about learning, but simply a matter of experiencing choices that get you were you want to be spiritually. Selfishness is a highly enlightened state of awareness that takes you there.
Roy E. Klienwachter is a resident of British Columbia, Canada. A student of NLP, ordained minister, New Age Light Worker and Teacher. Roy has written and published five books on New Age wisdom. Roy's books are thought provoking and designed to empower you to take responsibility for your life and what you create. His books and articles are written in the simplicity and eloquence of Zen wisdom.
You may not always agree with what he has to say. You will always come away with a new perspective and your thinking will never be the same.
Roy's style is hard hitting and comes straight from the heart without all the metaphorical mumble jumble and BS.
Visit Roy at: http://www.klienwachter.com