Something that took me a while to recognize:
Highly self-centered people assume that everyone else is also highly self-centered.
So when you do something for the greater good (e.g. put the company before self or answer their request for help), they get suspicious & complain (!)
Highly self-centered people assume that everyone else is also highly self-centered.
So when you do something for the greater good (e.g. put the company before self or answer their request for help), they get suspicious & complain (!)
Why do they complain?
Because they don't understand "your game".
They cannot comprehend why you'd do something that is ostensibly not optimal for you.
They must therefore assume that you are playing a bigger game & will "win" against them (they tend also be zero sum thinkers).
Because they don't understand "your game".
They cannot comprehend why you'd do something that is ostensibly not optimal for you.
They must therefore assume that you are playing a bigger game & will "win" against them (they tend also be zero sum thinkers).
Q:
But aren't we all self-centered? Don't our altruistic acts serve us first?
A:
We need to understand the difference btwn Self-interest & Self-centeredness
Almost everyone is Self-interested
Self-centeredness is a different beast. It comes with little to no regard for others.
But aren't we all self-centered? Don't our altruistic acts serve us first?
A:
We need to understand the difference btwn Self-interest & Self-centeredness
Almost everyone is Self-interested
Self-centeredness is a different beast. It comes with little to no regard for others.
So when smart, otherwise self-aware people behave in highly self-centered ways, it's at least partially because they don't understand the difference between Self-interest (good for our survival) & Self-centeredness (no longer necessary for our survival).