Life, in my eyes, is really just a constant search for things you can appreciate around you. Good friends are appreciated, That's why you surround yourself with them. While you do appreciate good friends, you also appreciate the things you receive from being around these people. The conversations you get to have with them, the things you give and receive in the relationship are all appreciated. They give you happiness, and we all need that in our lives. We appreciate all types of things, such as art, good food, or television because they make us happy. However, we all value some things more than others do because some things make us happier than others. One person will value material wealth over friendship, and that is all right with him, maybe not society, but to him, that's ok. Some people will value drugs or alcohol over other things, because these drugs make him feel better, and is that really wrong? Not when it doesn't affect anyone else, that is his pursuit of happiness. .
Who can really say that one pursuit is more honorable or more dignified than the other is, when all pursuits are basically just selfish ambitions to make one happy? The noblest ambitions in the world really just boil down to selfishness. Would doctors and scientists labor over cures for life threatening diseases if helping others didn't in turn give them some sort of satisfaction? No they wouldn't. Would teachers instruct pupils if teaching others did not satisfy them on some level? Would the heroin addict have tried heroin if he didn't want to? Deep down inside everyone, behind every act of kindness, and every fazade of character, There is an anterior motive, a selfish one, and there is nothing wrong with that because it is a natural thing. There really is no such thing as a selfless act, because it will somehow affect you in a positive way. Do you not feel better about yourself when you do volunteer work, such as help at the soup kitchen or do community service with a church? This is not wrong, don't feel selfish, and don't try and act self-righteous and pride yourself on me being wrong about you, because I am not.