The Myth of Self-Sacrifice

The real danger isn't self-interest, but being asked to "sacrifice yourself."

Let's start with a fundamental principle of nature: Self-interest is the most primal instinct of life, not altruism.

After birth, the first priority for all life is to survive, grow, acquire resources, develop abilities, and perpetuate life.

This isn't morality.

This is: Human nature, the instinct of life.

As for "You should sacrifice yourself first to benefit others; that's what's noble," that's a moral norm established later by human society.

Therefore, the truly healthy order of life should be:

Love yourself first.

Take care of yourself first.

Enrich yourself first.

Complete yourself first.

Only after you have the ability can you decide what you're willing to do for others.

A tree that can't survive itself cannot provide shade for others.

A person who has been hollowed out cannot benefit others in the long run.

Therefore, I increasingly believe:

True altruism should not be based on self-sacrifice.

Rather, it should be based on this: After you have fully developed yourself, your life abilities will naturally overflow.

It's natural for people to want a better life.

They want to earn more money.

They want their families to live well.

They want to own their own home.

They want to choose a job they love.

They want to be healthy, capable, and dignified.

These are not sins.

What's truly alarming is a system that starts telling you:

Don't think of yourself; sacrifice for others.

Then the most important question arises:

Who decides what "for everyone's good" means?

01 | Living well first isn't selfish.

A person who can't even stand on their own two feet can hardly take care of others in the long run.

Without income,

how can you take care of your family?

Without ability,

how can you help others?

If you're already struggling

and keep demanding self-sacrifice,

usually, both of you will collapse in the end.

Therefore, truly healthy self-interest is simple:

Love yourself.

Take care of yourself.

Enrich yourself.

Increase your capabilities.

Live your own life well.

It's not about taking from others.

Instead: First, become a capable person yourself.

This is the principle of "Heaven helps those who help themselves."

02 | The most troublesome thing is: Some people start deciding "what's good" for everyone.

For example, someone might say: "Everyone should be treated fairly."

That sounds good.

But the next question is: Who will distribute it?

How much?

Who decides?

Who supervises the distribution?

If all decisions ultimately fall into the hands of a few,

the real risk isn't the word "altruism,"

but rather: increasingly concentrated power.

World Bank governance research points out that power asymmetry can lead to exclusion, vested interests, and cronyism, thereby undermining security, growth, and fairness.

Therefore, what we really need to guard against is not "helping others,"

but rather: allowing a few to gain unchecked power in the name of helping everyone.

03 | A good system doesn't require everyone to become a saint first.

There's an interesting thing about the market.

If you want to make money,

you need to create something that people are willing to buy.

If a business owner wants to make money,

they must find customers.

Employees who want to increase their income will find ways to improve their skills.

Customers who want to get better things for less money will force businesses to compete.

Everyone has their own interests,

but exchange, competition, cooperation, and contracts connect the needs of different people.

Therefore, truly high-level systems do not require:

everyone to abandon their own interests.

Instead, they are designed so that while you improve yourself, you must also create value for others.

And truly successful cooperation does not rely solely on "everyone being selfless."

Ostrom's research on shared resource governance shows that sustainable cooperation often requires clear responsibilities, proportionate cost-benefit ratios, participatory decision-making, oversight, gradual sanctions, and conflict resolution mechanisms.

04 | Therefore, I believe more in "generative egoism"

It is not: only caring about oneself.

It is even less: climbing over others to get ahead.

Instead: First, perfect yourself, then let your abilities flow naturally outward.

Take good care of your health.

Learn knowledge well.

Develop your skills.

Earn your own income.

Earn your own choices.

Cultivate wisdom within yourself.

When you truly have capacity in your life,

you will naturally be able to: care for your family, create work, help others, share knowledge, give back to society.

This altruism is not achieved through self-sacrifice.

It comes from: first growing into a great tree yourself, then providing shade for others.

In conclusion,

the real question worth reconsidering is not: "Is self-interest better, or is altruism better?"

It's whether a system respects that every individual is an independent life, with their own goals, choices, and interests.

A truly healthy life is not about disappearing to be kind.

It's about loving yourself.

Being yourself.

Nourishing yourself.

Developing your abilities.

Then deciding

how much of your ability you're willing to share with others.

It's not about sacrificing yourself to create a better world.

It's about first truly living your life,

and then letting your life naturally illuminate others.

Thank you for reading!