There is no word more generally misinterpreted than the word egoism, in its current use. In the first place, it is supposed to mean devotion to self-interest, without regard to the interest of others or selfishness. It is the complete opposite to altruism, the devotion to others and sacrifice of self. Psychological egoism is a reflex that every person has to orient themselves toward their own welfare. Through this, it shows that every one of their voluntary actions causes some good to oneself. If someone gives away the last piece of bread to someone else, it is because they want to look like a better person. This is due to the fact that they would give away the last piece of bread. .
The idea of being selfish is a vague concept that also requires further thought. When one takes the last piece of bread, they are considered selfish. However, some people believe that this is should only be true if the individual who takes the bread has already eaten a large portion of the meal. And, an individual would not be considered selfish if they had hardly eaten anything. By my definition both cases are being selfish. Each person is either being greedy, as in the first case, or tries to fill their stomach. Another way to look at the definition of the act of being selfish is as follows. Notice the way children act on the playground, when one kid has all the toys in the sandbox and does not want to give some to any of the other kids; he is most definitely being selfish. The kids trying to uses some of the toys are also being selfish, because they only want the toys for self-gratification of playing with the toy. Every instance of action by anyone could be construed to be selfish or egoistic. .
Human nature is completely and exclusively egoistic. People are entirely selfish and devoid of any genuine feelings of sympathy, kindness, or hospitability. They are always thinking of themselves in everything they do.
