Self-interest

Self-interest is defined as:

• concern only for getting what you want or need and not about what happens to other people

• your own interest or advantage

There is always a balance of self-interest and the interest of others in relationships. Have you ever chosen an activity over a person? Have you ever tried to satisfy two people with different interest, wants and needs?

This morning, the spokesperson for the medical marijuana movement is pleading with the judiciary and legislative branch to allow them to start selling medical marijuana to “save the opiod addicts lives” by providing them with legal marijuana. Next, the owner of a company signed up to sell the product threatened legal action while sounding off on how many minority growers they had hired. First of all, does anyone really believe that making marijuana available is going to stop a person from choosing to use pain killers, heroin or recreational drugs?

The reactions to President Trump’s decision on the Climate Control agreement were all over the news this morning. The two positions seem to be: 1. It’s in the USA’s self interest to shield taxpayers from voluntary overseas payments to countries who do not have to reduce their emissions. 2. It’s in the USA’s self interest to stay engaged in the agreement to help others and see if we can reduce the temperature of the globe by .2% by 2100.  The science is divided here but it didn’t seem like such a good deal for the USA or likely to make a significant impact for the billions of dollars of cost. So, from a cost/benefit/ ROI perspective, it was doomed from the beginning.

Next, the latest on status of the travel ban on 6 predominantly Muslim countries. There are two positions: 1. The terrorist activity in European countries and their ever growing watch list could come to the USA with unsupervised high risk travel and this is definitely not in our self interest to expose ourselves to international terrorist. 2. The USA has always allowed travel and should remain open to legal and illegal entrants to demonstrate our open doors. If you want to travel to the US it might look like it’s not in your best interest. If you are already here- it might be!

Whose self-interest are we supposed to be most careful to protect? Our own? That seems selfish at times. Our children? That seems noble, but is rather subjective. Our country? Our faith? Our profession? My goodness, the list goes on and on.

Everyone has a different perspective. What can we all agree on that protects our own well being while recognizing what happens to others when our self-interest are protected? Can you ever really protect yourself from people you love? That’s where self-interest dissolves and the interest of others supercede your own. It may be the only time.