Cures for Selfishness

Selfishness is a trait characterized by how a person views himself in relation to the outside world. As children grow, they will often exhibit prolonged bouts of selfishness, believing that their every need should be met on their terms. Selfish people derive pleasure from focusing solely on their own needs, and are not concerned how their actions affect others. There are several corrective measures that can help to cure selfishness.

  1. Therapy

    • Therapy can help people unearth the root causes of selfishness and develop a corrective treatment program. Traditional therapy will often delve into a patient's past experience in order to help him understand the progression of his selfishness. Innovative therapy such as rational emotive behavior therapy is more concerned with the present and how currently-held attitudes, emotions and behavior are contributing to negative life actions. REBT treats selfishness as a disorder driven by ego gratification, and teaches patients the value of self-acceptance that isn't quantified by money or success. By accepting themselves without attaching external conditions, selfish patients lose their desire to gain material wealth at the expense of others.

    Self-Help Books

    • Self-help books are often written by people who've struggled through the issue they're writing about, and can provide authoritative, non-judgmental advice to those struggling with selfishness. By illustrating examples from their own lives, self-help authors who write about overcoming selfishness can form a bond with a reader who sees himself reflected in the text. Often times, it's only when a selfish person reads about an experience that's exactly like his own that he starts to understand his issues and how to begin solving them.

    Spirituality

    • Finding spirituality is a cure for selfishness because many religions are based on selflessness and the joy of serving others. Buddhism, for example, is based on the idea of achieving the transcendent state of nirvana, a life free of suffering, desire and selfishness. Christianity requires that you surrender your will and spirit to Jesus Christ and serve God by exhibiting traits such as love, joy, peace, patience and kindness. A selfish person who commits himself to a spiritual life may find that he cannot sustain his old behavior, leading to actions that are centered on helping others.

    Parenthood

    • Although some of the reasons people choose to have children may be deemed selfish, often times, parenting can be a cure for selfishness, especially in a child's formative years. Good parenting requires a commitment of energy and resources, and reduces the amount of free time a selfish person has to devote to himself. Taking care of a baby is a selfless act, often with only fleeting rewards until a child begins to grow and interact. That's not to suggest that good parents are perfect and always make the right decisions, but becoming a parent will require self-sacrifice and can go a long way to curing selfishness in any individual.

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