Quotes About Self-interest

Politics is the reflex of the business and industrial world, the mottos of which are: "To take is more blessed than to give"; "buy cheap and sell dear"; "one soiled hand washes the other.

It is a universal law — have no illusion — that every creature alive is attached to nothing so much as to its own self-interest.

It is a universal law – have no illusions – that every creature alive is attached to nothing so much as to its own self-interest.

The upshot is that if you identify self-interest with piety, honesty, country, parents and friends, then they are all secure.

But only if I identify with my will can I be someone's friend – or son, or father – in the true sense, because only then will my self-interest be served by remaining loyal, honest, patient, tolerant and supportive, and by maintaining my social relations.

We probably have a greater love for those we support than for those who support us. Our vanity carries more weight than our self-interest.

Pocas cosas hay más peligrosas que un imperio que persigue su propio interés con la creencia de que le está haciendo un favor a la humanidad.

The failure of modern culture lies not in its principle of individualism, not in the idea that moral virtue is the same as the pursuit of self-interest, but in the deterioration of the meaning of self-interest; not in the fact that people are too much concerned with their self-interest, but that they are not concerned enough with the interest of their real self; not in the fact that they are too selfish, but that they do not love themselves.

The government to you is what God is to agnostics--only to be invoked when your own well being is at stake.

with no apparent sub-surface of the mind, no consciousness of others, no recognition of any people, places or situations except in uncluttered direct relation to herself and how it can serve or disserve her." Quite a change

That human beings seek their own well-being and that of those close to them is not an especially provocative discovery. What is important is that this universal aspect of human nature persists no matter what economic system is in place; it merely expresses itself in different forms.

People who work in financial services don't have one shred of concern about the well-being of the people they serve. They're only interested in themselves.

We do not praise others, ordinarily, but in order to be praised ourselves.

I think maybe the people in elected positions are more interested in preserving their jobs than in doing the best job possible.

In my experience, most players act the way they do in their own self-interest, in getting their emotions out and basically working with their own demons on court.

There is a difference between being self-interested and being selfish. I will never be selfish.

The Cooperation Theory that is presented in this book is based upon an investigation of individuals who pursue their own self-interest without the aid of a central authority to force them to cooperate with each other.

under suitable conditions, cooperation can indeed emerge in a world of egoists without central authority. To

Rather than come together for the common good, we come together to get the best possible deal. We're clustering by income—attracting members who can contribute the most while excluding those who are more costly.

Lastly, these findings tell me that the answer to the question of whether, as a group, MDs are primarily patient-serving or self-serving is . . . yes. They are each, depending on their attentional focus at the time.

There is an ongoing battle between conscience and self-interest in which, at some point, we have to take sides.

WHEN ASKING FOR HELP, APPEAL TO PEOPLE'S SELF-INTEREST, NEVER TO THEIR MERCY OR GRATITUDE

When it is time to ask for a favor or help, you must think first of appealing to people's self-interest in some way.

People cannot stay motivated if their material needs go unmet. If they feel exploited in any way, their natural selfishness will come to the surface and they will begin to peel off from the group.