We all seek our own self interest. The nature of our world demands it. Economics, politics, and religion all hold at their core individual self interest. This is not evil. In fact, it has the power to bring great good into the world. If I want to have a happy home, then it is within my self interest to feed my children, be respectful to my wife, work hard, obey the law, and seek peace with my neighbors. If I am granted the freedom to pursue my happy home, then I can use my own energies to seek my own self interest.
What is the dark side of self interest?
Corruption.
Corruption can be defined as the search for self interest regardless of expense. The beginning of corruption lies in the willingness to do harm in order to get gain or feed an addiction. In every case, we become corrupted by our willingness to do harm. That corruption breeds discontent, addiction, and spite. We then are forced to do harm to feed the addiction. Stop being willing to harm, heal the addiction, and corruption will cease.
Put people in power who are free of corruption, heal the world.
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Do people who are not corrupted, run for power? :)
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